Give And Take
by aingealeire
Summary: After years apart Bella and Edward are forced back together. Will they be able to handle their past and start over? ExB, AU/All Human
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**

**Things I Own - A worn copy of Twilight in paperback, all seasons of Buffy on dvd, a blue and silver cell phone. **

**Things I Do Not Own - SM's characters in any way, shape or form. I just like to screw 'em emotionally every now and then! :D  
**

* * *

BPOV

I recognized the hair before I saw the man. Bronze and completely crazy standing out from all the neatly combed blond and brunette strands on the heads of the men and women in the crowd he standing in. I already knew without having to see his face that it was him.

It had been years since I'd seen him but even in this sea of humanity,something in me recognized him. He looked exactly like he'd spent hours not sleeping on a plane. His blue button-down shirt was wrinkled and his eyes were rimmed with red from the lack of sleep that comes with the stress of an unexpected red eye flight.

The crowd parted and his green eyes searched until they met mine. His face was expressionless. as if he was resigned to my presence. I could see him sigh heavily and scrape his right hand over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose. He hitched his duffel bag higher on his shoulder and then he started towards me.

I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth and nibbled at it as he approached me. I gave him a small smile and he nodded slightly as he walked right by me. I turned quickly and had to rush to keep up with him.

"Do you have anymore bags?" I asked, gesturing to the sign that read **Food - Restrooms - Terminal A 500-550 Baggage Claim**

He grunted what I assumed was a no and continued striding down the terminal towards the signs.

"Food." he said.

I rolled my eyes. Some things never change. Edward was always a one word man when he was focused on a goal. In this case his goal was to keep our interactions as minimal as possible.

I chose a place to sit and waited for him to return. He came back with a slice of pizza and a bottle of water. He threw his duffel down and slumped down into his seat. He brought the pizza to his mouth and it was gone quickly. After he opened his water and took a sip, he glanced over at me and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

After a pause, I snorted and got up. If he could act like a jerk, then I would do my best to give it back to him. I started to follow the signs to the parking garage and heard him scramble to grab his bag and follow me. We walked in silence for a moment before he cleared his throat and took a breath to speak.

"Why are you here?" he questioned.

I sighed and shrugged.

"I'm doing it as favor to Alice."

At the mention of his sister's name his teeth came together with a snap and I could practically hear his teeth grinding against each other.

"I could have gotten the limo." he muttered.

I lead Edward to my truck, and as it came into view he sighed loudly.

"I should have called for the limo." he said snidely.

I sighed as I went to my car and unlocked the driver's side door. I was only mildly insulted by his obvious disdain for my truck. She had definitely seen better days but she was mine and I loved her.

I leaned across the seat and unlocked the passenger side. I watched as he stood there clutching his bag. I rolled my eyes and sighed impatiently.

"You could always walk!" I snapped. "It's a hell of a long walk back to Forks though."

He huffed and then sat his bag between us on the seat and slammed the door. Once he was situated as best he could he crossed his arms over chest and stared sullenly out the window.

I almost laughed at his childishness. This grown man who had been all over the world could stand being in the truck with me for an hour, I was sure. If he couldn't, well then too bad for him. He was stuck with me for now whether either of us liked it or not.

As we started the drive from Port Angeles back down to Forks, the mist of rain that had been going on all morning suddenly become heavier and I scowled as I turned my wipers on.

The scraping sound caused Edward to startle and I snickered. He glared at me and turned his head back to the window to resume his brooding.

He rubbed his hand over the lower half of his face in impatience and frustration at the situation he was now in and growled softly to himself. I was reminded of how often in our years of knowing each other I'd covered that area with my hand to shut him up. No need for that now I thought to myself as I remembered the night we'd really begun.

* * *

_I'm going to die._

_This is what I thought to myself as I peeked out from underneath my covers and watched the window slowly creak open. A huge pale hand was was gripping the window sill now and I closed my eyes and gulped as I wondered how this stranger was going to kill me. _

_Strangulation? Is it a vampire come to suck my life's blood? Is this stranger going to wrap me up in my blankets and then steal me away in the middle of the night to his warehouse where he'll do unmentionable things to -_

"Fuck!" _a voice hissed into the darkness. I jumped and with a little shriek threw the covers over my head completely._

"Bella, dammit, help me!" _I heard as there was scraping and then a thud. _

_I opened one eye and peered over the top of my sheet to see..nothing. There was nobody there. I sat up in bed slowly and cocked my head to one side in confusion. Where did my attacker go??_

_I heard a groan from the floor and I carefully moved from my sitting position on the bed to crawl stealthily to the end of the bed and looked down._

_I gasped._

_There on my floor was Edward. _

"What are you DOING here??? I thought you were a hideous fiend come to murder me -"

_His chuckle cut me off. He squinted up at me from the floor while holding his left hand against his chest._

"A hideous fien-" _he was cut off mid-sentence by my hand slapping over his mouth. I felt tingles spread throughout my hand and up my arm at the contact and my eyes widened slightly at the sensation of touching Edwards skin. This was the first time we'd touched and it was literally a shock to my system. His skin was warm and smooth to the touch, I noted. _

"Do you know what my dad will do to you if he finds you in here? What are you doing here?!" _I whispered. Why on earth is Edward Cullen in my bedroom? _

_Edward's right hand reached up and gently removed mine from his mouth._

"I think it was pretty fucking chivalrous to come up the tree and climb through your window. Its like something right out of those books you read - you'd think a girl like you would be happy to have a guy like me climb in through her window!" _he hissed and stood, still holding his left hand against him. _

_I looked at him in confusion and then as his comment sunk in, humilitation that quickly turned to rage._

"What do you mean **a girl like me**????" _I glared at him as he ignored my question and walked past me to grab the doorknob. He started to pull the door open and I rushed to stand in front of him, I pushed myself against the door, blocking his exit. _

"Are you CRAZY? You'll wake Charlie!" _I said, panicking. I was thinking of a million ways this could end badly. Charlie following Edward down the stairs gun cocked and loaded all the while shooting me disapproving looks over his shoulder while I shouted that it wasn't what it looked like was at the top of the list. I snorted and noticed Edward looking at me, confused._

"Bella." _he began. _"I cut my hand climbing the tree and its bleeding - I need to go wash it off and to do that I need to go to your bathroom." _he said, holding up his left hand. As he did so I could see blood seeping from the wound in the middle of his palm. I felt the color drain from my face and I started to feel light headed. I leaned my head back against the door and closed my eyes, breathing deeply in and out. _

"Oh crap, Edward." _I gulped._ _I did not do well with blood. It smelled like rust and salt and made me sick to my stomach. I slowly opened my eyes to find Edward staring at me warily. _

"Are you going to be alright?" _he said, and put his good hand on the door over my head leaning into me. _

_I stared up at him and gulped again. Too close, my brain shouted. I slid my hand around behind me to trying to find the doorknob. When I inhaled I could smell him. He smelled like honey. I mentally shook myself and turned the doorknob behind me._

"Sit down over there, I'll go get you a towel." _I whispered shakily as I pointed to the old rocking chair in the corner. He nodded and moved toward it as I escaped out the door and into the bathroom._

_I grabbed the sink on both sides and hung my head down, breathing in and out slowly. Not only was there a bleeding guy in my room, but it was Edward. With my sleeping cop dad down the hall. Nothing good could come of this._

_As my stomach settled I straightened up and opened the medicine chest to grab the first aid kit. As clumsy as I was there was practically one in every room of the house stashed in a drawer or a cabinet, waiting for whatever injury I'd have next. _

_I made my way back to my room, moving quickly up the hallway to listen at Charlie's door to make sure he was still asleep. All that could be heard from the room was snoring. I smiled in relief._

_When I opened to the door to my room and walked in I expected to see Edward sitting in the rocking chair in the corner but when I looked he wasn't there. I momentarily was disapointed to find him gone and sighed. I turned to the left and gasped when I saw him sitting on my bed thumbing through a book with his good hand._

_I hurried to him and grabbed the book, putting it on my bedside table._

"I thought I told you to sit in the rocking chair." _I said as I tilted my head in the direction of the corner that held the chair. He raised an eyebrow at me and grinned._

"The bed is more comfortable." _he said, nodding his head once. I rolled my eyes and threw the first aid kit onto the bed before backing away. _

"There you go. Bandage up and then you can go."

_He looked at me with amusement and reached for the kit. I started chewing on my fingernail to calm my nerves as I watched him try to clean the wound. After a moment of fumbling, he sighed and turned his head to look at me._

"I'm going to need your help, Bella. I can't do it one handed."

_He tried to hand me the small bottle of peroxide and the cotton swab and I furiously shook my head no and pushed his hand away. He looked at me in frustration and huffed with impatience._

"If you want me to leave your going to have to help me take care of this!" _he insisted. _"It's your fault I'm injured in the first place!"

_I looked at him with a shocked look on my face, and my mouth fell open. _

"How am I responsible for this?! It's not like I stabbed you with a pencil or anything!" _I whispered furiously, crossing my arms across my chest. I turned my head away and was reminded of the question I has asked him before the door fiasco that hadn't been answered._

"What are you doing here anyway?" _I repeated, looking at the wall nervously._

"I was bored." _he grinned._

"Do you do this often? Climb into a virtual strangers bedroom in the middle of the night?"_ I said, trying to keep my voice quiet and even. I was extremely nervous. Edward had been in my room way too long by this point and I was starting to feel sympathy for the caged animals at the zoo. Close proximity with Edward had that effect on me._

"We're hardly strangers, Bella." _he purred._ "We are lab partners after all. We see each other at school every day. Is it so wrong for me to want to visit a friend?"

_Friend? We were friends?_

"You don't have friends." _I said._

_He looked down at the first aid kit and plucked at my bedspread seemingly nervous, all bravado gone. _

"You're right. I don't. You shouldn't want to be my friend Bella." _he said softly with a sour chuckle. He shook his head and laughed again._

"I should go." _he muttered. _

_I thought I heard him say something else, but I couldn't catch it. After a beat he looked up and the corner of his lips turned up._

"Please help me with my hand and then I'll go."

_I looked at him nervous to have him here, and confused as to why exactly he was here. I didn't buy the friend thing for a second. There is no way Edward freaking Cullen would want to be anything more than my lab partner. I realized while I was having this internal conversation with myself Edward had been staring at me expectantly. I could feel the warmth rise into my cheeks and I was greatful it was dark and he couldn't see my embarrassment. I sighed, resigned. He was going to be the death of me._

"I'll try." _I whispered and reached slowly for the peroxide and cotton swab that had been discarded on the bed. I kneeled down in front of him and he held his hand out to me. I put peroxide on the swab and took his hand in mine. I tried to ignore the thrill that I felt at touching his skin again and began to carefully dab at the cut. _

_The cut was small, but there was still blood coming from the wound and I felt my stomach start to flip again. I swallowed hard and as I closed my eyes. I was mortified because I knew what was coming next._

_I was going to faint in front of Edward._

_How freaking embarrassing._

_I felt myself start to sway back and forth and as I began to fall strong hands grabbed my arms and pulled me quickly up into a standing position. My knees were jelly. I could feel myself start to slide back to the floor and one of his hands slid quickly down my arm and around my waist, holding me up off the floor._

"Whoa!"_ he exclaimed softly. _"I've got you." _he whispered. _

_He gently sat me on the bed and held me steady with a hand on my back. He sat down, his thigh pressing to mine. At this closeness the tingles returned, same as before when I'd put my hand on his face. This feeling confused my already fuzzy mind._

"Put your head between your legs and breathe slowly." _he said._

"I know." _I groaned as I did as I was told. _

_The heat from his hand on my back both soothed me and caused fluttery feelings in my stomach. I slowly raised my head up, my eyes closed while I felt him rubbing slow circles on my back. _

"Better?"

_I nodded. _

_All too soon the soothing touch left my back and the loss of it saddened me. I heard some rustling and then felt something placed in my hands which were open on my lap. I opened my eyes and looked down at my hands and saw that Edward had laid a bandage there. I looked at him and he smiled sheepishly._

"I still need your help."_ he said, softly._

_I nodded slowly and began to wrap the bandage over his hand. My hands felt shaky, my heart was racing and I was still lightheaded but I managed to fasten the bandage and then lightly patted his hand._

"Thanks."

_Again, I nodded._

"Welcome."

_I held my breath as he hesitated for a moment and then leaned closer to me and brushed his lips against my cheek. Immediately I felt the heat rise in my cheeks as I blushed. _

_He stood then and moved to the window. I followed and stood beside him as he moved the window pane and then threw one leg out and sat on the sill. _

"What are you doing? You'll never make it!" _I said, stunned to see that he fully intended to climb back down instead of the only slightly less risky idea of using the front door. _

"You're going to kill yourself trying to get down!"

_He winked at me, grinned and and slipped out the window. _

_

* * *

_

I'd met Edward in my biology class 3 weeks prior to this night - though I'd met his sister Alice first. She bounded up to me out of nowhere that first day and introduced herself. I could practically hear the echo of her voice chirping "Hi, I'm Alice."

She had grinned at me and stuck out her tiny hand for me to shake. "We're going to be great friends, I've seen it!" she said as we'd walked the campus together and she had been right. Alice had been my friend from day one.

I quickly learned of Alice's family - two brothers Edward and Emmett. Emmett was a senior where Alice and Edward were juniors, like me. I was glad to know someone who would share my classes and after a quick comparing of schedules Alice noted that I had several classes with her and biology with her brother Edward. She immediately warned me of him, stating that while he was incredibly intelligent he was unchallenged by school and this made him want to find ways to make school more intriguing for him.

These feelings had usually been what led him to detention and hours of community service duty. His father Carlisle thought Edward's time would be better serving the community than other punishments doled out for boys like Edward.

My first interaction with him was that day.

_Mr. Banner called our attention to the front of the class and was discussing what we'd be covering during the year when I realized I'd forgotten a pen and blushed furiously at the idea of asking a stranger to borrow one. I looked around the room nervously and was about to get up and walk across the aisle to a student I'd met in Spanish class when I felt a light tap on my arm. I startled and turned to see Edward had placed a pen on my notebook. I blushed again. Not wanting to be caught talking, I tore off a piece of my notebook paper and told him thank you._

_I slid the note to the center of the table and watched as he raised an eyebrow and took it. He read it, nodded and winked at me._

"Mr. Cullen! I'm delighted that you are taking notes! Starting early this year I see." _said Mr. Banner._

_I cringed as the teacher made his way to our lab table but Edward just looked bored as Mr. Banner suggested he might be more entertained bya visit to the principals office as he picked up the piece of paper and took it with him to the front of the room._

_Edward rolled his eyes behind Mr. Banners back and made his way out the door._

_After that we would talk during class some but nothing personal was discussed and he always kept a distance until the night he'd climbed through my bedroom window._

I was startled out of my mental stroll down memory lane by Edward clearing his throat harshly. I looked over at him and noticed that I'd brought the car to stop in the driveway of his parents huge house. Not a mansion by any means but still, large enough to state "Money."

I had no idea how long we'd been sitting there and I felt a blush come over my cheeks. I stuck my tongue out at him and noticed he looked slightly less tense and thought I might've seen a flash of amusement flash across his face before it was gone and his expression was once again shuttered.

'Finally." he said.

Any warm and fuzzy feelings I'd felt while remembering the early days of our relationship were gone and quickly replaced by irritation. This man could take me to from the greatest happiness to absolute fury in moments. The passion and fire of our relationship used to take my breath away when I thought of it and now all that was left between us was bitterness and regret.

I sighed.

"See ya, Edward."

He looked at me, and for a moment I thought he might speak. I raised my eyebrows in encouragement for him to do so, but his mouth shut with an audible snap of his teeth and he wrenched the handle and hurried out of the cab of the truck, slamming the door behind him.

I watched him walk up the path and go inside and then started the truck and headed home.

* * *

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing Twilight fanfiction. Go easy on me!

In regard to lemons, I'm lemonade. I love lemons but unfortunately I can't write them to save my life. Anybody want to step up to bat for me? Please contact me via profile if you are interested! Edward will rub your back for you if you do! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**

**Things I Own - A hairbrush, multiple pairs of jeans that are too big and many a Yankee Candle.**

**Things I Do Not Own - Cullen's, Swan' s, et all...you get the picture. **

_Some dialogue taken from pages 21-22 of Twilight and a little dash of Midnight Sun for flavor._

* * *

EPOV

It was somewhere around one in the morning I realized that there was no way in hell I was going to sleep. I was too nervous and upset at what would be waiting for me when my flight landed.

I opened my eyes and looked at my surroundings. The seats in first class were nice enough but nothing was truly 'first class' on a plane no matter how much you paid for your ticket. The food was more often than not horrible, the meaning of a 'personal bubble' was generally lost on the those sitting around you and at over 6'2" there was never enough room for my legs to settle comfortably.

I sighed and brought my hand up to tug at my hair nervously. It was a habit that always had given away whatever I was feeling at the time but I'd never been able to break. It was hereditary, my father and brother did it too.

Thinking of my family made my shoulders slump and my stomach twist anxiously. I could only imagine how they were feeling now.

My day had started off fine. I had woken to the sounds of thunder outside my window and groaned while pulling the pillow next to me over my head. I had classes this morning and while the area was not that different from home as it was in an almost constant state of clouds and rain, it rarely made it to more than a light mist. Irritating, but bearable. A down-pour was not what I needed today.

Too soon my alarm started shrieking to let me know it was in fact time to get up and start the day. I'd gone about the day as I normally did - push-ups, shower, horrible instant coffee and my morning classes.

My afternoon was spent in my apartment attempting to force myself to study for exams that I could easily pass. As the day passed into evening I was idly flipping through the television channels, my studying tossed aside after I'd read the same page five times in a row with no retention of the information written on it.

I'd been startled out of my channel surfing by my cell phone vibrating off the table and onto the floor. I swore and quickly grabbed it.

"Yeah." I answered.

I was unprepared for the conversation that followed. A week ago my sister Alice had spent the day shopping - something not uncommon as Alice was the family clothes horse and she had turned the act of using a credit card practically into an art.

Alice never came home.

This was not really all that uncommon either. Alice often spent time away from the house and at the age of 21 it was not questioned where she chose to spend her time. Our parents felt that we were adults and generally did not pry into the lives of their children unless invited in. When Alice had not returned home the next day or night without a phone call, my mother Esme had started to get worried. Not checking in after one of her escapade's was out of character for Alice.

Another day passed and still no word. At my mother's insistence my father had contacted the police and filed a missing persons' report. Investigation into my sisters whereabouts had come quickly as my father was an important person in the small town of Forks.

Carlisle Cullen was the chief of staff at the hospital and once had a toyed with the idea of trying for political office of the town. Citing his responsibility to his patients his highest goal, the political idea had never been more than that but it had thrust him into the public eye.

Alice had been shopping in a mall in Port Angeles when she disappeared and Police Chief Swan had been working with the Port Angeles PD to get security tapes for the day pulled.

A review of the tapes showed nothing suspicious - hours of footage gave them no leads until they finally reached the one for the store Alice had been shopping in.

This tape had showed her browsing and a man with a baseball cap with the letter 'C' partially visible on it seemingly two steps behind her. One shot showed what appeared to be a conversation between them and then they left the store together.

There has been no further sightings of my sister or the man on that tape or any of security tape from that day.

In hysterics my mother had taken to her room and hadn't come out. That was when my father had called me and insisted I come home.

I shook the thoughts off as I pinched the bridge of my nose, another familial trait of worry and confusion. Why would Alice leave with that man? The call I'd gotten from her the day of her disappearance had been filled with nothing but happy news on her relationship with Jasper Whitlock. She'd been sure that he was thisclose to popping the question and the idea of him being a part of my family made me frown but I put on a happy tone for my sister. My history with Whitlock was now strained at best, desolate at worst.

The captain came over the intercom and announced at we were getting ready to land and thanked me for choosing British Airways.

After we'd landed, I gathered my duffel bag from the overhead compartment and stood impatiently in the aisle waiting for the people in front of me to make their way off the plane and into the airport.

As I walked through the terminal and to the gate my stomach clenched as I wondered who would be picking me up. The possibility that it could be her caused me to stumble. Surely my father had better sense than to send her.

I looked around hopefully for the driver my father insisted drive my mother about town or even for my brother Emmett. I could feel myself freeze as I noticed her. She hadn't seen me yet I didn't think but as quickly as my heart had stopped at the sight of her, it immediately galloped into a racing beat as her chocolate brown eyes met mine. I let my face fall into a hard mask if indifference as she watched me. I sighed and rubbed my hand over my face to hide my feelings about her being there to pick me up. Feelings of anger and jealousy, doubt, love and distrust roared through me at once, causing me to feel as if I had multiple personality disorder. I scoffed inwardly to myself. This girl will not end me again. I won't let her. I pinched the bridge of my nose then rounded my shoulders. I hitched the duffel higher on my shoulder and started towards her.

She hadn't changed, despite not having seen her in almost 3 years. She still had the same beautiful long brown hair that I remembered smelling like strawberries when I'd run my fingers though it. It curled softly on the ends that brushed the waist of her jeans. She was chewing on her bottom lip as she always did when she was nervous about something and this caught my eye. I laughed inwardly and was glad to see I caused her to be uncomfortable. Still I couldn't deny the effect that the motion of her little teeth pressing into her soft red lip caused in me and I hated her for it. I walked up to her and as she gave me a small smile in greeting I nodded to her once and kept walking.

I could hear her struggling to keep up with my pace and she asked me if I had more bags.

I grunted and gave a one-word response. "Food."

I slowed slightly as I spotted a vendor with pizza and noticed her choose a seat a few feet away.

I gave the man behind the counter my order and once I had my food, I paid and strode over to where she was seated. I ate quickly while trying to ignore the vibrations her small body gave off. We'd always had a current running between us and it had been nearly impossible to not be touching some part of her at all times. Now the thought of doing so turned the taste of the food in my mouth bitter while my hand twitched with the need to reach over and simply touch her hand.

I noticed her watching me as I ate and then opened and drank from the bottle of water I'd gotten with my food. I raised my eyebrow in annoyance.

'What?"

She snorted and started to rise from her seat. As she turned to walk away her hair brushed the hand holding my drink and I was momentarily stunned by the scent of strawberries. I felt a small flare of disappointment in myself that she still had this hold on me as I grabbed my things and followed her.

"Why are you here?" I questioned as I walked beside her.

"I'm doing it as a favor to Alice." she replied softly.

I could feel my jaw tense at the mention of my sisters name and I wondered how much she knew about the situation. I didn't ask as it would cause us to have a conversation and I was much too tired to deal with anything more than the thought of getting home and going to bed.

"I could have gotten the limo." I muttered as I kicked myself for not realizing my luck would cause something like this.

We exited the stairwell of the parking garage and she stopped at a rusted red truck that looked older than my father. I stopped short and sighed in disbelief. Surely she wasn't still driving the truck she'd had since high school. I watched as she unlocked the driver door and slid over the seat to unlock my side. She pushed the door open and peered out at me with narrowed eyes.

"I should have called for the limo." I sighed, disappointed in myself for not making that a requirement when I'd spoken to my father.

"You could always walk!" she snapped. "It's a hell of a long walk back to Forks though."

I sighed again and pushed my bag onto the seat in between us. I slammed the door and grabbed for the lap-belt then crossed my arms and slumped in my seat. This would literally be the car ride from hell. I had left the country to get away from her 3 years ago and now I'd have to sit in the close quarters of a truck cab with her for an hour. I stared out the window and willed myself to not look at her.

The sound of her wipers stuttering across the windshield startled me and I glared at her as she laughed. I rolled my eyes at her amusement and resumed my stare out the window as the city lights gave way to the endless stretch of trees that lined the road that would take me home. Thankfully, she remained silent. I scrubbed my hand over my face to calm myself and as she turned the heater on that same strawberry smell filled the cab and I groaned inwardly when it caused me to think back to the first time I'd seen her.

_

* * *

  
_

_"I met the new girl today." Alice said from the passenger seat of my car. I glanced at her and she was practically bouncing in the seat as she reached to turn the music down. I chosen Debussy for the ride home and I was slightly annoyed that she'd lowered the volume just as one of my favorite pieces had begun to play. I sighed. _

_"That's great Alice." I said, lifting my hand to the volume knob and letting the sounds of Clair de Lune fill the car again. I smiled slightly until Alice giggled. _

_"You give off such a "come near me and lose a hand" image and here you are giving your little sister a ride home from school and listening to classical music. Whatever will they say at your next juvenile delinquent meeting Eddie?!" _

_She gasped in mock horror then snickered behind her tiny hand and I scowled. I loved my sister but in small doses. I gritted my teeth._

_"For someone so small you are really fucking irritating." I said. "And don't call me Eddie." _

_I turned the volume on the radio up higher. Alice diligently reached over and this time turned it off completely. _

_"Don't you want to know her name?" _

_No. I didn't. I was sure that the last thing I needed in my life was to hang out with the police chief's daughter. Chief Swan would probably shoot me dead on sight if he saw me within 100ft of his daughter. I shook my head. _

_"Well her name is Bella Swan and she's really nice. I think we're going to be great friends. We're in several glasses together. The girl has a serious mental block when it comes to fashion though! I mean flannel shirts and ponytails! I'm going to fix her up and she'll be beautiful. She's pretty now of course, she's got this big dark brown eyes with long lashes..." Alice's voice became a buzz as continued to describe the girl. All I wanted to do was drop Alice off and then go to this wooded area I'd found one day while ditching. It's was really pretty damn girlie of me to enjoy spending time in a field full of flowers and trees but it was private and nobody as far as I could tell knew where I went when I was gone there. I hadn't even told Jasper and he was my best friend. _

_Alice was still babbling about a-line skirts when we pulled up to the house. She got out and put her tiny hands fisted and she put them on her hips. "You listen to me Edward Cullen!" she said loudly. "Things are changing, I can feel it. You'd better come around!" she slammed the door and I winced as she walked away. I didn't mean to make my sister mad at me but there was only so much girl talk I could take. I was a 17 year old boy for gods sake not one of her girlfriends. I sighed, pulled out of the driveway and headed to my field._

_-----------------------------------------------------------_

_The next day I saw her before she saw me. I got to the Forks High parking lot and pulled my Volvo into a spot. I was early. My dad and I had been arguing after he'd come in from the grave yard shift at the hospital to find that I'd been brought home by none other than Chief Charlie Swan himself. _

_I'd left my field as it started to get dark and went to find Jasper. I found him sitting on top of the hood of his car in the parking lot of Newton's Outfitters, a newspaper spread out before him. I parked my car and strode over to him one eyebrow quirked._

_"Anything good going on in the world, Grandpa?" I teased and tapped the center of the paper. Jasper pushed back his messy blond hair with his right hand and huffed at me while slapping my hand away with the other._

_"I'll have you know there is a fanfuckingtastic review of Romeo and Juliet that the Forks Community Center put on last night." he said distractedly as he watched me jump up beside him. _

_"What are you doing out here fucker? Don't you know it's past your bedtime?" _

_"I was waiting for you bitch." he replied calmly. "What are we doing tonight Brain?"_

_"Same thing we do every night Pinky - try and take over the world." I replied, snickering._

_We had then gone from Newton's to Ron's Food Mart and gotten caught shoplifting. This unfortunately was not my night as Ron was extremely unamused by the situation and called the police. Chief Swan had practically done a jig when he put me in the back of his cruiser and had presented me proudly to Esme. I was pretty resigned to the fact that Esme would be pissed but I'd never expected her to cry. She closed the door after exchanging false pleasantries with the Chief and after he'd left our doorstep she turned to me with tears in her eyes and left me in the foyer without a word. I knew that there would be a shitstorm in the morning once she told dad what had happened. _

_The shitstorm turned out to be community service volunteering old lady bingo at a local church. I was literally in hell. I tried to plead my case to Carlisle sighting that I was a teenager and they did things like this from time to time, boys will be boys and shit like that but all that got me was the assurance that I would get to be the one who would call out the numbers at least once. After the torture that was talking to my dad I'd flew to my Volvo and here I was sitting in my car listening to my favorite angry music cd and enjoying being away from my parents disappointed looks. _

_After a moment of blindly staring out at the school campus I noticed a brown haired ponytail blowing in the breeze and realized it must be Alice's new friend. I frowned slightly as I watched her shiver a little from the wind that was blowing despite the rare sun that was overhead. She looked like she was reading something. I snickered at this. Alice was great and did well in school but she wasn't a reader. Her idea of sitting down with a good book was reading foreign Vogue. They didn't have much in common, though I knew this wouldn't stop my sister. She was nothing if not determined and if she said Bella would be her great friend then I knew it must be truth._

_I watched Bella look up at the sky and scowl as it started to cloud over. The bell rang and I realized that I'd been watching her for 15 minutes. I was suddenly very glad my windows were tinted and she had no idea I was there. I was not a stalker. _

_Bella put her book in her bag and made her way into the building. I sighed and figured I should probably go to class too I was in enough trouble at home without getting caught skipping._

_I saw Bella again at lunch. I watched from my table as she grabbed an apple and a bottle of lemonade. Surely she needed more food than that? I started to frown and stopped myself. Why did I care what she ate? I shrugged and tuned back into the conversation Jasper and Emmett where having over the cafeteria food. _

_I heard a soft voice to my left side ask "Have they always lived in Forks?"_

_She was talking about my family. I felt nervous. Who was she talking to? I turned my head slightly, curious and saw that Bella was sitting with Jessica Stanley. I rolled my eyes and went back to staring at the food on my tray. Jasper and Emmett were right, it was disgusting. I grimaced as I pushed at the lump of brown with my fork and then pushed it to the side. I was nervous. What would Jessica tell her about us? I took a sip of my coke as I heard Jessica tell Bella that we'd moved from Alaska a few years ago. Jasper suddenly got up from the table and made an excuse about leaving something in his locker and I nodded at him in confusion. As I watched him leave the cafeteria I nudged my brother with my foot. _

_"Jessica Stanley is giving the new Swan girl all the dirty laundry on the Cullen clan." I murmured to him while spinning the water bottle lid like a top on the table. Emmett's eyes slid over to the girls and he nodded slightly, chuckling under his breath. "I hope she's making it good."_

_There was a small pause and then I tried to fight the urge to look over when I heard Bella speak again._

_"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" _

_She was asking about me. My stomach felt like it was twisted in knots. Must be the food I thought to myself._

_"She's talking about you, dude." Emmett whispered and kicked me in the shin with a snicker when he noticed me trying to look at her without being obvious. "Eddie's got a little crush." he said in a sing-song voice. I glared at him._

_"Shut the fuck up." I hissed._

_"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him." said Jessica. Out of the corner of my eye I could see her frown and I tried to hide my smirk. I'd dated before but Jessica's over the top advances and 3 layer thick makeup had been a huge turn off and I'd tried to avoid her at all costs. It annoyed me that she was going to teach this new girl all her whorish tricks. Bella was better than that. And where was my sister anyway? Alice would've had Bella sitting at our table in a heartbeat, introducing her to everyone. I made my way to biology wondering why I cared so much about who Bella Swan would be spending her time with. _

_

* * *

_

We pulled up into the driveway of my parents home and I glanced at Bella out of the corner of my eye. She looked like she was deep in thought and I resisted the urge to reach out and stroke her cheek to feel the blush that I could see on her cheeks. What was she thinking about? It was no longer my concern or care I realized and I suddenly felt the exhaustion I'd been fighting. I was so tired of her control over me. It made me angry that she still had this effect on me. I cleared my throat rudely hoping to gain her attention and she startled. I tried to wipe the amusement at my success from my face and glared at her.

"Finally." I growled. She sighed.

"See ya, Edward." she said.

I looked at her for a moment and took a breath to speak but thought better of it. I was not up for a round of fighting now I just wanted get to a soft bed and shut out the world. I shut my mouth and grabbed my bag. I slammed the door without another word to her and ran up the path and quickly unlocked the door and went inside, closing the door behind me as I heard her truck start and rumble down the driveway.

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**A/N: **Ron's Food Mart is a real convenience store in Forks, WA - I googled it! :D I've seen from the stats that you are out there and reading but not reviewing. If you review, Edward will take you to his 'field' for some lessons on being a juvenile delinquent!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**

**Things I Own: Two copies of "Twilight" in paperback (one that doesn't leave the house and the one with the movie poster cover as a 'loner' copy to recruit other Twihards), A Webcam and Sullenward.**

**Things I Do Not Own: Anything Stephenie Meyer ever dreamed about.**

_This short but I wanted to get it up here - it was not beta'd so please excuse any and all typos and grammar mistakes! lol I will try to get another chapter up by the end of the week, promise!_

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BPOV

The drive back seemed to take seconds instead of the normal 20 minutes it took to reach my small apartment. I couldn't keep my thoughts from wandering to happier times when Edward looked at me like I was beautiful and Alice spent hours dressing me up while we'd talk about our boys and other things best friends talk about.

Alice had been missing now for over a week and despite my dad's reassurance they'd find her, there had been no leads. I tried to keep a positive mind-set but it was difficult. Forks was a small town and bad news traveled at the speed of light. The news of Alice's disappearance had been the talk of the town and all eyes had been turned to me. I was both the police chief's daughter and Alice Cullen's best friend. Everyone was of the opinion that the police weren't doing enough to find Alice and as the last person to see her alive suspicious tongues were wagging.

I walked up the steps to my apartment while digging in my bag for my keys . I reached my front door and as I put the key in the lock the door moved slightly. I stilled and looked around nervously. I placed my hand on the door and pushed and it swung open. I took a careful step inside and immediately slapped my hand over my mouth to cover my gasp.

From the light in the hallway I could see my couch was covered in stuffing from the throw pillows that I'd had sitting on it. Lamps were over-turned and shattered on the floor, behind that my desk drawers were pulled out with papers littering the top of the desk and the chair.

I stepped over the coat rack that had been knocked over and stumbled over a jacket as I made my way to the kitchen. I felt around the wall for the light switch and saw more destruction leading down the hallway and back to my bedroom. It had been ransacked as well.

I ran back to the front door, tripping again over the debris on the living room floor. I slammed the door behind me and with a firm grip on the railing flew down the stairs to the parking lot. My hands shook as I tried to unlock the rusty door and I dropped my keys into a puddle on the ground. I smacked the truck door with frustrated tears stinging my eyes and then bent to snatch my keys off the ground.

After two more tries I finally was able to get the door open. As I slid into the seat I grabbed my phone and started to dial Charlie. The line began to ring as I remembered Charlie was still in Port Angeles helping the PD with Alice's case.

"Shit!" I shouted.

I put the truck in reverse and as I squealed out of the parking lot I tried to call Jasper but got no answer. "Dammit!"

I only had one option left.

EPOV

Hidden in the shadows caused by the roof of the porch I stood in the front door as I watched her drive away. I'd been rude. I hadn't meant to be but seeing her again was torture. Hearing her voice, feeling the warmth radiating from her small body as she sat next to me in the cab of the truck ripped open the emotional wounds I'd tried so hard to stitch closed. She didn't deserve to be forgiven for what she had done but I wished so badly that it could be different.

Closing the door I rested my head against the door frame. I took and deep breath and let it out slowly, shaking my head.

"Son."

I turned to look at my father standing behind me. He started to step forward and I met him halfway as he put an arm around my shoulder.

"How is mom?" I asked.

He sighed and nodded his head towards his study. I left my duffel bag in the foyer and followed him into the large wood paneled room. I sat in one of the two leather chairs in front of his desk and rested my head against the back of it watching as he shut the door to the room and crossed the room to sit down. I looked at him expectantly.

"Your mother is having a difficult time. She doesn't think the police are doing all they can to help find your sister." he said quietly. "She's still refusing to leave the bedroom but she's allowed Emmett to sit with her."

"How are Emmett and Rose?" I asked. Rosalie and Alice had gotten very close in the time that Emmett and Rosalie had been together. Rosalie was often my sister's partner in crime when it came to her shopping binges but she hadn't been able to go with Alice the day she'd disappeared. Rosalie blamed herself and her marriage to Emmett was becoming strained under the guilt she felt.

"Emmett is Emmett." my father said with a rueful smile. "He's being very protective of your mother right now. Rosalie tries to help but she only allows Emmett in the room."

I frowned and felt my eyebrows draw in together in confusion.

"What do you mean only Emmett? What about you?" I asked. My father pointed to the corner behind me and as I turned I saw that he'd made up the couch. I turned back to him, shocked. "Mom is making you sleep on the couch?"

"I'm afraid she blames me for this mess."

"Why would she think you had anything to do with it?" I said, incredulous at the idea that she would think my father had anything do with it.

My father studied me for a moment and as he opened his mouth to answer we were both startled by a loud banging on the front door.

"Are you expecting someone?" I asked, eyeing the clock on the mantle. It was nearing four in the morning now and I couldn't imagine someone coming out to the house at this time. My father shook his head as he rose from his chair.

"I wasn't expecting anyone but you and you're here."

We made our way out of the study and into the foyer as the knocking continued. Coming to a stop in front of the door my father looked at me out of the corner of his eye as he turned the knob. I stood just off the side and couldn't see who was standing in the doorway but as he opened the door I could hear what sounded like a woman crying.

My father's face held a look of shock as he reached out and grabbed the woman at the door.

"Bella?" he asked. I stiffened in shock. Bella? What the hell was she doing here at four in the morning? Shock gave way to concern and fear as I heard her sob.

"My apartment!" she gasped. "It was broken into! Everything is on the floor and there are papers thrown all over and -" she broke off into another sob and I clenched my hands into fists at my sides to stop myself from reaching for her. She reached up and covered her mouth with both hands as her small frame was wracked with shudders from the cries tearing from her throat.

My father pulled her to him and she buried her face into his chest while he patted her back gently and glared at me over her head. I knew he was thinking it should be me comforting her and I'd just made the decision to take her from my father's arms when I heard footsteps on the stairs behind me.

"What the hell is going on?"

All three of our heads turned to the stairs and Bella gasped again and pulled away from my father and ran to the stairs and into the arms of Jasper fucking Whitlock.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**

**Things I Own: 2 flash drives, a portable hard drive and a car loan**

**Things I do not Own: Twilight in any way shape or form.**

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EPOV

I felt like I'd just taken a blow to the gut. I knew that Jasper, Bella and Alice had formed a close knit group but I never thought I'd see Bella in his arms again. Fuck. I couldn't get a deep breath as I watched him rub her back and tell her it was going to be fine.

I should be the one telling her it would be fucking fine.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I growled in Jasper's direction.

His head shot up and his eyes narrowed at me as he brought Bella down the stairs into the foyer. She took a deep breath and pulled away from him slightly, leaving one arm around his waist, his arm tightening around her shoulders. She glanced at him and then she was staring at me, biting her lower hip nervously. I felt sick and couldn't stand to look at her anymore so I turned to my father and motioned behind me.

"What is he doing here?" I asked again.

My father pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

"He is here because of your sister. She would want him here and I see no reason why he should be made to leave." He eyed me for a moment and then Jasper. "Alice would not want this. I don't know what the issue between you three is but I suggest you work it out amongst yourselves. There are more important things going on!"

He left the foyer then and returned to his study.

I growled in frustration and rushed towards the stairs bumping into Jasper with my shoulder as I passed without a saying a word.

I made my way down the darkened hallway, into my bedroom and slammed the door behind me.

BPOV

I winced as I heard Edward slam the door and I pulled away from Jasper and pinched his side.

"What is the matter with you?!" I hissed. He looked at me incredulously and I crossed my arms. "You could've let me go when we got to the bottom of the stairs."

"Bella, you were upset and I was comforting you. That's what friends do." he said quietly.

I sighed. He was right. Friends do that. I had no reason to feel guilty but I knew that seeing me in Jasper's arms would hurt Edward and hurting Edward was something I'd sworn to never do again.

"You're right. Friends do comfort each other but Jasper that seems to get you and I into trouble and I don't want to put more stress on any member of that family than there already is."

Jasper shook his head and smiled sadly.

"It was a long time ago Bell and there is nothing you can do to change what happened."

He turned then and started walking up the staircase, tossing a soft 'Goodnight' over his shoulder.

"Goodnight Jasper."

I was alone.

EPOV

I laid on my bed with my hands behind my head and stared at the ceiling. I was in hell. My sister was missing, my mother was a basket case, and now to add to the pile there was Jasper and Bella.

I thought of how I'd left things with Bella and for a minute my heart ached for the life I should be living right now. A life with Bella, not this routine I called living. I still took air into my lungs and my heart still beat but it had been ripped to shreds and now was on the verge of splitting the stitches I'd used to keep it together. It had been destroyed the night I walked out of the front door of Charlie Swan's house and hadn't stopped to listen to Bella screaming my name from the porch. I'd gotten into my Volvo without a look back, slammed the door and flew out of the driveway. I'd been so confused at what I'd seen and felt so incredibly stupid that I'd let her in when I'd always pushed others away. This is what happens when you open up to people, you become vulnerable and end up like I was now. Alone.

BPOV

Carlisle called me into his study as I watched Jasper return to wherever it was that he'd come from when he'd stumbled upon the awkwardness that had been going on in the foyer. I didn't want to lean on the Cullen's but I'd had no other options at the time and if I was being honest to myself Edward was still the first person I thought of during any sort of emotion reaction, be it good or bad. He would always be the one my instincts told me to run to whenever my emotions were running high, be them good or bad. The fact that his comfort and understanding were long lost to me left me heartbroken.

I walked into Carlisle's study quietly and he immediately came around the desk and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Bella I think you should stay here for awhile."

I stared at him in surprise - that's definitely not what I was expecting him to say. He chuckled at my wide eyed shock and motioned for me to sit. I took the chair in front of his desk and gripped the arms, my nails digging into the leather.

"I can't." I choked.

He sighed and sat down on the corner of the desk. He tilted his head to try and catch my eye but I kept my eyes on the floor.

"Bella." he said softly.

I looked up, trying in vain to keep the stress of the last couple of hours from causing tears.

"I can't. You've got enough going on, not to mention a full house and with Edw-". I stopped myself and took a deep breath. "He doesn't want me here."

Carlisle scoffed and shook his head.

"I'm not going to pretend to know why your relationship ended the way it did. I'm certainly not going to say that I don't feel the hostility my son has directed towards you. Frankly Bella it concerns me, and I would like to know just what happened when he left for school. He's refused to talk about it and after awhile I stopped prodding him. I know Edward and he will tell me if and when he's ready. I won't push you for the information either, I promise." He paused.

"What I will say is this. You are the best friend my daughter has ever had and you have just as much right to be here as any of my children. I've always thought of you as my own, and that hasn't changed. You will stay here for the time being."

I knew that there was no arguing with him, so I nodded. Edward would be livid and I internally shuddered at the thought of staying here with Edward and Jasper.

The large house suddenly felt very, very small.

JPOV

I shut the door to my room quietly and sat on the edge of the bed - elbows on knees, head in hands. I sighed and dragged my hands through my hair and then down my face roughly. That had been brutal. I hadn't been able to sleep so I decided that a walk might help clear my thoughts and when I came down the stairs I find Bella sobbing, Edward looking like he was about to pull a Bruce Banner and bust out of his clothes in anger. I hadn't expected her to come to me but I knew as soon as I put my arms around her and heard Edward gasp it was probably all over for me. If it wasn't for the girl in my arms I knew I'd have been TKO'd on the floor with a fat lip and little blue birds flying around my head.

It was no secret to me that my former best friend wanted nothing to do with me and with Alice at my side and Bella practically as my sister, I'd been able to get past the shock when he disappeared without a word. We'd always been straight with each other and I had no fucking clue how he could think that I would do something like that to him. I didn't really have words to explain the way I felt about the situation except that it was fucked up. Tonight in the Cullen house was the first time in 3 years I'd seen or spoken to Edward. After he left Bella's house that night he'd cut off all ties with the both of us, only communicating with Alice.

As I crawled back into the bed I let my mind remember how things were before our own personal D-Day.

Edward and I were pretty much like Butch and Sundance - inseparable. We did everything together until Bella Swan moved to Forks. After that first day, things were never the same.

My buddy was actually happy. I'd never seen him so damn happy in all the years I'd known him. Bella brought out the best in him and I couldn't have been happier for him. Our little partnership suddenly became a group of three.

Bella and Alice were close and then our group became four. I'd never had what you'd consider family, my parents had been killed in a car accident when I was 4 and I'd spent my whole life getting bounced out of foster home to foster home. Having three people I knew I could count on was a totally unknown dimension to me and despite the family vibe my attention was soon captured by the pixie devil named Alice.

She was beautiful. She was petite with spiky black hair and had eyes that were most intense and shocking shade of blue I'd ever seen. In all the years I'd known Edward, I've never met his sister. I guess when you spend all your time bullshitting and raising the hell we did there wasn't much time to be introduced to the family.

The first time I'd seen Alice was getting out of Edward's Volvo at school and I felt like I'd stepped on a live wire while wearing wet shoes - I'd been electrocuted in the best way. I'd never been a saint, I was a teenage boy with a reputation to uphold but everything about this girl made me want to buy flowers and go to church on Sunday just to be worthy of her company.

She terrified me.

After months of pining away like a bitch I had been determined to get what I wanted. I'd enlisted Bella into helping me. I didn't tell my buddy I wanted to date his sister, that was the first mistake.

Bella and I had been meeting in a diner in Port Angeles to discuss my plans to woo Alice. It had been my decision to meet so far away from home - I needed to make sure that nobody, especially Edward, would be included in our conversation.

I'd been on my way to the diner that night and none of us could've predicted that the world was about to come crashing down around us.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**

**Things I own: A rapidly dying land-line phone that probably needs a new battery, a glitter lava-lamp type lamp that hasn't been plugged in since I moved into my apartment in '05 and a toaster I never use.**

**Things I do not own: I don't own the Harbor Cafe or Odyssey Bookshop which are actual places in Port Angeles. Still own Sullenward tho'. **

_Some scenes and some dialogue were taken directly from Twilight and Eclipse, but I re-arranged them to suit my whims. Enjoy!_

_This is a flashback.  
_

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"Fuck!"

Edward looked at Jasper, his mouth hanging open in the shock as Jasper's car pushed his motorcycle off the road and over the edge.

"Dick!" he shouted as he heard his character die a flamey death on the screen. "I can't believe you knocked my car off the fucking road! Its a Mario Kart no no!"

Jasper looked smug as he selected the option to quit the game and set his controller down. Getting up he picked up his phone and noticed there was a new text message. Lost track of time in the book store, will meet you at the diner at nine. Promise! He chuckled and shook his head.

"The way of the world my man, the way of the world." he said with a smile as he reached the door of Edward's room.

"Where are you going?" Edward protested. "This is our last hurrah and it's early!"

Jasper turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Our last 'hurrah'? Who the fuck says 'hurrah'?

Edward scoffed. "You're mom said it to me just last night."

"Bitch." Jasper walked over to Edward and smacked the back of his head. "How's Bella doing with all this?"

Edward grinned. "She's fine, I'm going over there later."

Jasper laughed. "A proper send off, eh Eddie?" He reached out to ruffle Edward's hair but he ducked and gave Jasper a playful punch to the stomach. "Fuck off. I wanted to spend my last night in town with my girl not you, you asshat."

"So why aren't you there then gazing into each others eyes and professing your undying devotion or some shit?"

"Dude I know you'd never dream of breaking your fuck and run rule but unlike you I have to wait for her dad be asleep before I can sneak in and climbing up that damn tree is not easy. Charlies gotta be snoring before I can get my ass up there."

"All right Romeo, I'll see you at Thanksgiving then I guess." said Jasper as he used the tip of his index finger to peek into the duffel bag sitting on Edward's bed. "No porn? No condoms? Dude, tell me this whole thing isn't just a cover up for you joining the Priesthood so you can prove me right and scam on small boys like Michael."

Edward growled and smacked Jasper's hand away from the bag and zipped it up. "You're a real asshole man."

They were both silent as Edward packed a few things into the suitcase beside the duffel bag when Jasper finally spoke up.

"You're really gonna leave her here all alone?" Jasper said.

Edward was standing at his dresser and had opened a drawer when Jasper's question made him pause. He grabbed something and turned around holding out a small black box to Jasper.

"Dude, this is so sudden! " Jasper put one hand over his heart and wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

Edward laughed and opened the box which held a bracelet. Jasper looked at it for a minute and then looked curiously at Edward, who shrugged.

"I thought it could be something of me that she'd have while I was gone. It's going to be hard with my being gone for so long but I'm sure we can make it work. " Edward swallowed and turned the box back to himself. "I can't imagine my life without her man. When I come home for Thanksgiving I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Wow Edward man..that's..well congratulations. She's a great girl. Why are you waiting until Thanksgiving?" Jasper said, stunned.

Edward took a deep breath and looked Jasper in the eye. "I can't ask her to be mine and then leave the next day." said Edward, and then he paused and was quiet for a moment.

"I'm going to need you to take care of her for me man. She's going to need someone and I'm asking you."

Edward turned and set the jewelry box on the dresser. He kept his face to the wall as he continued to speak.

"Ever since the first day I met her dude it's like she's a physical part of me. It actually hurts when we're not together. I thought the whole soul mate thing was bullshit but the first time I touched her it was like I'd been shocked and just KNEW that she was the whole damn world. I've never felt anything like it. I decided that day there was no fucking way I'd ever make it without her. Have you ever felt like you couldn't live without someone Jazz?"

Jasper nodded but he didn't see. "Edwar-"

Edward held up a hand, cutting him off. "I just need you to promise you'll take care of her for me."

Jasper nodded.

"I'm going to take off before you make me lug that shit down to the car." Jasper said, pointing to the suitcases laid across the bed. Edward turned around and they walked to the bedroom door and he grinned at his friend. "See ya fucker."

"Not if I see you first bitch."

Jasper smacked Edward's shoulder and left the room closing the door behind him.

He was making his way down the stairs and out the door when he heard sniffling coming from the kitchen. He checked the time on his phone, the talk with Edward had taken longer than he thought and now he was running late.

He jogged into the kitchen, expecting Esme and instead sitting on a stool at the island was Alice.

"Hey Esme, I've really gotta g-" he stopped short.

Jasper covered his mild shock by clearing his throat. "Er..tink?"

She startled and wiped her eyes then gave a watery smile. "Hey Jazz."

"Tinkerbell, what's wrong??" he said quietly as he moved to stand next to her. She sighed and began studying the pinky nail on her right hand before speaking. "I'm going to miss him."

Jasper patted her on the shoulder awkwardly. "He'll be back before you know it."

Alice suddenly jumped off the stool and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face against him. Jasper froze in shock and desperately willed his body not to react to the feel of her against him. "I'll be all alone! " she said, the sound of her voice muffled by his shirt.

"You won't be alone, you've got Bella." he said and hesitantly put an arm around her as she cried against him and grabbed at his shirt. He held her for several minutes as she calmed down and then muttered something else into his shirt. Jasper groaned to himself at the feel of her lips moving against his chest.

"What was that you said, sweetheart? I can't hear you."

She raised her head and looked up at him with her big blue eyes still swimming with tears. "I said will I have you too?"

Jasper raised his hands and used his thumbs to wipe the tears off her cheeks. "Of course you have me Alice." Jasper said quietly, then kissed her forehead. Alice tensed and Jasper felt the little hand that was gripping his shirt flex and then tug downward, so he moved his head to look down at her and as his head dipped he felt his mouth brush against hers. He gasped at the tingles that raced down his spine at the feel of her mouth and pulled away slightly. "Alice?"

She gave him a small smile.

"You've kept me waiting a long time."

Jasper felt his face heat up with a blush as he kissed her right cheek. "I'm sorry ma'am." They both laughed quietly. "I got here as soon as I could."

Alice sobered and she studied his face for a minute before pushing his blond curly hair out of his face. "Jasper." she said whispered as she unclenched her hand from his shirt and slid it up to rest on the back of his neck. She lifted herself on her toes and he ducked his head to meet her in another small kiss. The clock on the wall in the living room chimed loudly and startled their lips apart.

Alice pulled away with a smile and walked to the kitchen door, leaving him standing the middle of the kitchen staring at her with a stupid grin on his face. He watched dazed as she disappeared around the corner and then her little hands were on the door frame and her head popped around the corner.

"See you tomorrow at the airport?"

He nodded and cleared his throat. "Yes."

Alice beamed at him and then she was gone.

Jasper walked to the front door in a daze still wearing the stupid grin when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the screen.

I've been here for an hour and they are closing - where are you?

Jasper looked at the time on the phone and swore. It was almost ten now and he was fucked. He closed the door behind him and he ran for his car. Bella was going to kill him for being late but getting him together with Alice had been the goal of their little diner meetings, so he knew she'd forgive him - he just hoped she wasn't too pissed.

* * *

Bella walked up the steps of the Odyssey Bookshop and opened the door, smiling at the smell of the books that covered the shelves on the walls. As she stepped in and the bell over the door rang, the person behind the counter looked up at her and smiled.

"Hi! I'm Angela - is there anything I can help you find?" she asked.

Bella shook her head and smiled, pointing at the classics section and as Angela went back to her work Bella made her way down the aisle stopping at Wuthering Heights. Her copy at home was completely destroyed from the many times she'd read it and was currently being held together by strategically placed staples and a rubber band. She grabbed a copy off the shelf and continued to wander the store looking at the displays advertising self-help books, cook books, sci-fi and horror books had their own displays as well including a whole display dedicated to those vampire novels that were so popular right now.

Bella glanced up a clock on the wall and looked back at the books in her hand before doing a double take at the clock. It was almost nine pm. She shrieked and grabbed her phone, quickly sending Jasper a text saying she'd meet him at the diner at nine.

Stashing her phone back in her pocket she walked up to the counter and paid for the books. Angela gave her a warm smile as she rang up her purchases and then Bella was on her way.

"Crap." she muttered as she checked her phone again for the time and saw it was ten after nine. She rushed until she saw the sign for the Harbor Cafe and prayed she wouldn't stumble as she crossed the street.

She walked in and slid into the booth that they always chose in the back and sat her things down in the seat beside her as the waitress came up and asked if she'd like to order.

Bella shook her head and pointed at the empty seat across from her. "I'm waiting on someone, but thanks."

She saw a few guys in the booth ahead of her snicker as she said it and she quickly glanced away from them as she reached out for the waitress and tapped her sleeve.

The waitress had turned to leave but Bella successfully stopped her. "Actually Miss? I'd like a coke please."

She nodded and scribbled on pad as she walked away and Bella began to play with the sugar packets sitting on the table as she tried to ignore the guys who were now openly staring in her direction. She grabbed her phone and glanced at the time again nine-thirty. Jasper was never late and Bella began to get slightly worried but she shrugged it off.

After the waitress brought her drink and Bella insisted for the fourth time that she would continue waiting on her friend the girl huffed and walked away.

The waitress came over again at five to ten and told Bella they were getting ready to close. Bella grunted in acknowledgment and gritted her teeth in frustration as she texted Jasper again. She didn't have a choice to stick around so she gathered her things and started on her way back to her truck that was parked a block away at the bookstore. As she walked by the booths of the diner and made her way to the door she noticed the booth where the guys had been sitting was empty.

Bella shuddered at the cool night air as she walked out of the diner and she pulled her jacket a little tighter against herself.

She started to realize after she'd walked a bit that she was going the wrong direction and turned around when she noticed there were the same guys from the diner. They were joking loudly among themselves, laughing raucously and punching each others arms. Bella scooted as far to the inside of the sidewalk as she could to give the guys room as she passed them, walking swiftly by.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed, and the others paused. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired guy in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He was wearing a flannel shirt open over a dirty t-shirt, jeans with holes ripped in the knees and running shoes. He started to walk towards her and she greeted them as a knee-jerk reaction.

"Hello." Bella said shortly, then she quickly looked away and walked faster towards the bookstore where she'd parked.

She could hear the guys laughing at full volume behind her. She turned her head once, quickening her pace as a chill that had nothing to do with the weather made her shiver. She had her little can of pepper spray in the pocket of her coat and she curled her hand around it.

She turned the corner to what she thought was the parking lot of the bookstore but a glance revealed that it was a blind drive to the back of another building. She wondered at how she'd gotten lost when the stupid bookstore had just been a block away but she tried to concentrate and find a street sign to determine if she was going the right way as she heard footsteps behind her. She knew she should run but she was worried that if she tried to go faster she'd end up sprawling to the ground and that would not help her right now.

Her phone buzzed in her coat pocket and she pulled it out and saw that it was now ten thirty and that she had a text message from Jasper.

_I'm ten minutes away - got distracted. will explain. cya._

Bella felt relief as she quickly closed her phone and put it back her pocket, as she once again curled her fingers around the spray she noticed that somehow she'd made it to the correct location and she could see the parking lot with her red truck just where she'd left it.

Bella intended to text Jasper back and let him know she'd be waiting at her truck. She started to step out into the street when the guys from the diner appeared suddenly and she moved backwards into the alley she'd been standing in front of.

"There you are!" the booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man shattered the intense quiet and made Bella jump. In the darkness of the alley it seemed like he was looking past her.

"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind her, making her startle again as she tried to determine a way to get around the guys and back out onto the street. "We just took a little detour."

Bella tried to scream but the thicker guy shrugged away from the wall and grabbed for her arm as Bella stepped back in time for him to miss.

"Stay away from me." She warned in a voice that was supposed to sound strong and fearless. All Bella could think about now was that she should be home in bed waiting for Edward to climb through her window. They agreed to spend his last night home together. Charlie would be sound asleep by now and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before Edward was finished packing and made his way over. She'd made him promise to come, even if he thought she'd be asleep already. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she stared at her attackers, she hoped in vain that someone would notice this scuffle but being so late at night she was sure she was doomed. She would be murdered in this alley just like some of Jack the Ripper's victims in the book she was reading about the White Chapel murders. It was still sitting on the desk at home, Bella was pretty sure she wasn't going to get to finish it now.

She tried to scream again as one of the guys came up behind her and put his hand over her mouth, she bit him and stepped on his foot and he pulled away howling in pain as the dark-haired man moved forward and smacked her across the face. Bella stumbled and felt her back come up against the alley wall.

Headlights suddenly appeared at the end of the alley and this startled the group of guys who were cornering Bella. As they turned to look and see the car that had interrupted them Bella ducked under the dark-haired guy's arm and ran for the car at break neck speed.

Jasper flew out of the car and ran towards her, grabbing Bella's arm before she could hit the ground as she stumbled over gravel in the alley way.

"Get in the car!" Jasper shouted.

He pushed her towards the car and scrambled to the driver side to get back in and put the car in reverse as Bella yelped when she was tossed around the cab.

"Put your damn seat belt on!" Jasper exclaimed in exasperation.

The cab of the car was silent then except for their heavy breathing as Bella fastened the belt across her lap. Jasper looked at her with worry etched over his features as the trees of the highway flew by them.

"Jesus B, are you okay?"

Bella hiccuped and realized that she'd started crying. She furiously scrubbed the tears off her face and took a deep breath and nodded.

"What the hell was that back there?" he asked angrily.

"You were late." Bella answered quietly, refusing to look at him and looking at her hands in her lap instead. "The diner was closing, I couldn't wait anymore. I left and tried to go back to the truck but I got turned around when I noticed I was being followed. I panicked and went the wrong way I guess and next thing I know, I was cornered in the damn alley."

Jasper tensed. "Did they -" he started to ask but Bella held up her hand cutting him off.

"No. One tried to grab me and I bit him. The big one did get a smack in though." Bella said and winced as she touched her rapidly bruising cheek.

Jasper's hands tightened momentarily on the steering wheel before loosening and he sighed in relief.

"Good. I mean I'm sorry but..I'm glad I was able to get there before anything..I'm just glad I made it. I'm so sorry I was late."

Bella looked at Jasper silently asking him why he'd been late.

The danger behind them now, Jasper relaxed and let a small smile come across his face.

"Alice."

Bella's eyes widened and her eyebrows raised in question.

"Alice? Why would Alice make you late?"

"I was leaving after seeing Eddie and I heard weird noises from the kitchen so I stopped at the door and she was sitting at the island crying. I went over to her and she basically hugged me and we stood there til she calmed down." he whispered.

Bella looked at Jasper and noticed his cheeks were darkening in the light from the dashboard. She gasped.

"Jasper Whitlock." she breathed. "What aren't you telling me??"

He took a deep breath before answering nervously. "She kissed me."

"Jasper!" she whispered. "So after the kiss you told her right?"

"Er..no. We were interrupted by the clock in the hallway letting me know I was late to meet you and she ran upstairs."

"Oh." Bella said, slightly disappointed. "Well, you'll see her tomorrow at the airport when we see Edward off. You can hold two crying women and then you can drive Alice home, I'll catch a ride with Esme and Carlisle."

"Hold up a minute now B. How am I going to explain to the 'rents that Alice is riding home with me?"

Bella shrugged. "You're Jasper. You'll think of something."

Jasper pulled into Bella's driveway and put the car in park. Jasper moved around the car to open her door and as Bella got out and stepped down into the gravel she hissed and stumbled against the door.

"What is it?" Jasper whispered, worried.

"I think I might've twisted my ankle when I fell back there." Bella whispered back as she grabbed Jasper's arm for support.

Jasper cursed under his breath and Bella shrieked and grabbed his neck as the driveway disappeared from beneath her.

"Jasper what the hell are you doing?! Put me down!" she hissed.

Jasper let out a choking sound as her arms tightened around his neck and he groaned as he hitched her higher in his arms. "Jesus B how much to you weigh??"

Bella let go long enough to smack him in the chest and he winced as he stumbled up the stairs to the front door with her.

"Dammit Jasper I can walk! Put me back on the porch!" The rocking movement of his walk up the steps had not helped Bella stay calm after everything that had happened and she started to feel a little light-headed. Jasper put Bella back on her feet. Keeping one arm around her waist, he reached up and grabbed the key hidden over the eave and unlocked the door.

As he pulled Bella inside, she suddenly went limp in his arms and he scrambled to catch her before she hit the floor.

"Bella?" he hissed. He light smacked her non-bruised cheek and then shook her. No response. He shook his head and swore again under his breath.

He quietly pushed the door closed behind them and picked up Bella again, trying to make his way up the stairs. He'd never been to Bella's house before but everyone knew where the Chief of Police lived and Edward had mentioned climbing a tree to get into Bella's room many times so Jasper assumed that her room was upstairs.

Halfway up the stairs he paused, he could hear Charlie stirring and he closed his eyes praying that Chief Swan would not wake up to see his unconscious daughter being carried up the stairs to her room by one of the town fuckups.

The noise from Charlies room quieted and Jasper finished the climb up the stairs and he intended to put Bella down on her bed quietly and sneak out of the room, but that was apparently not going to happen as when he laid her down she opened her eyes and squinted at him.

"What happened?" she slurred.

Jasper chuckled and bent at her beside, slipping off her shoes and socks.

"You passed out on me like the freaking damsel-in-distress you are."

Bella scoffed and looked at the clock. It was now after midnight. She gasped and tried to sit up, but Jasper pushed her back down onto the bed with a hand on her shoulder. "B. You need to sleep. You've had a very traumatic evening."

Bella huffed and glared at him as she stood and pushed by him, making her way to her closet where she pulled out a robe and then to her dresser where she pulled out pajamas.

"I'm not going to sleep in my jeans Jasper!" she snapped. "I'm fine! Edward is going to be here soon, you need to go! I"ll see you tomorrow." she said pointedly and motioned Jasper towards the door.

"I think I'll stay til Edward shows up." Jasper said, making himself comfortable on her bed.

Bella scowled at him and stomped her good foot. "I don't need a baby sitter and it would be better if you left before he shows up. He doesn't need to know what didn't happen! I'm fine! You'd better be gone when I come back in here!' she whispered furiously before leaving the room and shutting the door a little roughly behind her.

Jasper sat up and was thumbing through a book on her bedside table when Bella came back in in her robe.

"I told you to leave!" said Bella. Jasper shrugged and stood. "I promised a friend that I'd take care of you and that's just what I'm going to do."

Bella's face turned an interesting shade of purple in her frustration and she started forward to try and physically force him out of her room but in her haste and with her twisted ankle causing her to limp she stepped on her shoes that Jasper has so not-carefully thrown on the floor.

She could feel herself flying forward and she shrieked as she crashed into Jasper, knocking him backwards on her bed. She landed on top of him and as they both scrambled to get back upright her the knot of her robe came undone exposing her tiny lace boy shorts and camisole that she'd put on for her sleepover with Edward.

Jasper was stunned momentarily as her forehead connected with his with a crack and she groaned as she pushed herself up into a sitting position on his lap and put her hand to her forehead, rubbing the bruise she was sure was forming.

The bedroom door flew open and slammed against the wall causing both Jasper and Bella's gazes to fly to the the doorway where there was a very confused and enraged looking Edward gaping at them.

Edward looked at Bella with her hair mussed and her flushed face, her breathing heavy and finally at her position astride Jasper and his fists clenched as his eyes darkened in fury and he threw the box he was holding on the floor as he turned on his heel and thundered down the stairs.

Charlies door opened roughly as Bella ran out of her room and chased Edward down the stairs screaming his name. Jasper was not far behind her but Charlie stopped him in the hallway by grabbing the back of his shirt.

"What the hell is going on?!!?!?" Charlie shouted.

Jasper tried to think of a way to explain the situation but Edward was already out the front door and running down the driveway before he could get a word out, with Bella standing barefoot in the doorway screaming Edward's name in between sobs with tears streaming down her face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:**

**Things I Own: 2 rubber duckies in costume, a Matchbox brand toy Volvo (Silver of course!) and a very worn out keyboard.**

**Things I Do Not Own: Standard disclaimer applies, but Sullen/Drunkward belongs to me and me alone! **

_In review of the previous chapters it occurred to me the last chapter might have been a little confusing at first - just to clarify it was a flashback to what broke ExB up. All clear? Good! :)_

_As before, some scene references and dialogue were taken directly from Twilight and re-arranged to suit my fancy._

_Many many many thanks and hugs from Sullenward to philadelphic and SlayerKitty00 for helping me get through this chapter!! _

* * *

EPOV

I punched the pillow under my head and tried to get comfortable on the bed as I closed my eyes, willing sleep to come.

It wasn't coming. I was still as wide awake and angry as I'd been when I stomped up the stairs and slammed my bedroom door like a teenage girl. My stomach growled and I realized the last thing I'd eaten was the pizza in the airport and before that it had been a quick sandwich before hoping on the plane.

I decided to go down to the kitchen and fix myself something but as I got to the top of the stairs I could hear my father and Bella talking. They were not in the foyer, but I could see a glow spilling out from his study door and I knew he'd pulled Bella in there for one of his 'talks'.

I moved silently down the stairs and towards the kitchen, pausing just outside the doorway of my father's study.

"Bella I think you should stay here for awhile." I heard him say. My lips flattened into a hard line and my eyebrows drew inward to complete the grimace on my face. Bella was staying here?

"I can't." she replied.

My posture relaxed slightly, she didn't want to be here anymore than I did. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I'd wanted nothing to do with her for so long and now here she was again, tempting me. What I was tempted to do was wring her and Jasper's necks for being such miserable human beings but I'd promised myself long ago it would never be mentioned.

I heard her explain why she wouldn't stay, that I didn't want her here. I snorted quietly. I definitely did not want her here.

Eventually my father convinced her it would be a good idea.

Bella Swan was going to be sleeping in the room just down the hall from mine.

My hunger pangs forgotten I quickly stumbled back to my room, trying to be as quiet as possible. I closed the door behind me silently and collapsed face first on the bed with a groan. I needed a drink.

With a grin I remembered that when I'd lived here I had often 'borrowed' from my father's liquor cabinet and filled plastic water bottles full of whatever he happened to have in there. I'd hide them in my closet and then I'd take one with me to my field when I wanted to be alone.

The last time I'd done it, I'd already been drunk and grabbed a whole bottle of scotch from the back of the cabinet. He'd never seemed to miss it and I wondered for a moment if it was still there before shooting up off my bed and rummaging around before I was able to move enough items off the floor to pull up the loose board in the back. I found my prize, blew the dust off of it and uncapped it. I didn't even bother thinking of getting a glass to pace myself; I just tipped the bottle to my lips and prayed it would make me forget.

I was drunk.

Not drunk enough to be passed out on the floor but on my empty stomach, the scotch had made me dizzy enough to fall off the bed. I grimaced as I slumped off the edge to the floor.

The bottle of scotch was pretty much gone now. It hadn't been a full bottle but it had been a long long time since I'd had a drink and apparently that makes me unable to hold my liquor.

My stomach felt sloshy and as I grabbed the comforter on my bed to pull myself back up it felt a little like I was going to be sick.

I stood finally, and my stomach settled. I stood there for second thinking and then swore.

It hadn't done a damn thing to make me forget the woman who was probably sleeping 200ft from me right now. In my non-sober state I imagined I could still smell the strawberry scent of her hair that had perfumed the cab of the truck when she drove me home from the airport. It made me angry. I'd not been able to get out of my mind just how close she'd been. I had never thought in a million years I'd get that close to her again.

Before I could stop myself I had my hand on the handle of the door to my room and I was yanking it open. I stumbled slightly as I turned the corner. I knew what room my father would've told her she could stay in, and I was pretty sure that she wouldn't think to lock the door.

I stood in front of the door having a drunken debate with my sense of reason but as usual the drunk won and I quietly tried the doorknob. It came open easily and I slowly pushed it open, trying not to let too much light in so I didn't disturb her.

I could see her small frame huddled underneath the covers of the bed that was positioned in the left corner of the room. Across from it was a dresser with a mirror and beside that was a chair. Light from the window, diffused by the curtains gave the room some dim light but the chair was covered in shadow. 'Perfect!' the drunk said and he promptly settled us in the chair.

Her face peeked out from the covers and I studied it. It hadn't changed. In sleep she looked exactly like she had the last time we'd shared a bed. Her skin still looked like porcelain, her hair still just as dark brown. It was longer now I'd noticed when she'd walked in front of me at the airport but aside from that the changes were null.

Before my mind registered the action I was on my feet and across the room, falling to my knees by the side of her bed.

Bella slept on as I watched her carefully for signs that she might be waking. Satisfied that there were none I allowed myself the indulgence of stroking her cheek lightly with the tips of my fingers.

The same electricity I'd always felt between us was there but instead of making me eager for her - be near her, touch her, kiss her, love her as it had before, all I could feel was regret. 'Why hadn't I - this - been enough for her?'

I lightly touched her lips and then drew my hand away and sighed her name. She stirred and started mumbling. I smiled, lost in thoughts of the past and how fiercely I wished things had turned out differently.

"Edward."

My breath caught and I was torn between feeling extreme happiness that she still was dreaming of me and at the same time wanting to cry. I'd spent so many nights before in her room, lying beside her and listening to the dream talking. I had missed hearing her whispering my name in the dark.

She was getting a little restless now and turned onto her side, away from me. I heard her ask me not to leave in her dream and I again, against my better judgement, reached my hand out to softly stroke the strands of hair that were covering her face from me. I pushed them back over her ear and I could tell she was beginning to wake up. I lurched to my feet and darted out of the room and noticed that while I'd been consumed by my drunken worship of this woman that once meant everything to me, the sun had come up.

Seeing Bella, hearing her dream, touching her - the feelings that coursed through me seemed to sober me up a little and now instead of a manic mix of drunken sad and giddy feelings, I was just empty. I sighed and decided to go hunt for coffee to nurse the drunken pounding in my head.

BPOV

I was woken by the sound of the bedroom door clicking shut.

"Hello?" I called softly as I raised my head from the pillow. The sunlight was streaming in through the window above the bed and I could clearly see there was nobody in the room.

I lay back and brought my hand up to my forehead, closing my eyes again and pushing the hair off my face. I had been dreaming of Edward and then end but this time was different. I screamed for him to come back and he actually listened and forgave me, running back up the driveway and into my arms and stroking my cheek before kissing me and telling me he loved me. I could almost smell the odd mixture of honey and mint that I always associated with Edward, but this time it had a hint of alcohol in there too. Strange.

* * *

_"You're NOT going to wear that."_

_I poked my head out of my closet and saw Alice standing in my doorway looking like a rockstar. Her black spiky hair had sparkles in it, she was wearing a dark red corset with black laces and black leather pants, red heels completed the ensemble. I looked her up and down once and then gave an appreciative whistle. I ignored her question and poked my head back into my closet._

_"Isn't that a little much for the town folk of Forks?" I said, my voice muffled. "And for your information, I most certainly am wearing this." I looked down at my black spaghetti strap top and jean skirt and sighed. "I don't have anything else and I don't understand why you insisted on a skirt anyway, with the shoes you told me to wear I'll just end up falling down with my rear end in the air anyway!"_

_Alice clucked her tongue and I heard a rustling noise and then heard her call my name. I turned and gasped at the sight before me. In her tiny hands Alice held up a red short-sleeved, collared dress that buttoned from the hem of the skirt all the way up to my neck if I wanted, just like a dress shirt. _

_"I've brought shoes to match!" she chirped. I eyed the dress warily. I loved it, I'd never let her know that though. The shoes she had set out before me I was dead set against. They were the same color as the dress, platform heel and open toed. I shook my head in a panic. _

_"How are those shoes better than the others?" I asked her, wringing my hands. I would never make it down the stairs alive in those. _

_Alice threw back her head and laughed, and then she moved in front of me and reached up to pat my shoulder. _

_"Don't worry Bella; I knew you'd say no!" Alice smiled knowingly and left the room for a moment only to return with a sensible pair of black ballerina flats. "These will be perfect and you won't fall! If you do, I'll catch you!" She put the dress across my left arm and handed me the shoes that I took with my right. I almost dropped them as she put her little hands on my back and pushed me towards the bathroom. _

_"Catch me?" I mumbled on my way to the bathroom. I snorted at the visual of 4'11" Alice trying to catch my 5'2" frame and snorted. I was a giant compared to that girl. "I'll squash you like a bug." _

_As I shut the door to the bathroom I could once again hear Alice's tinkling laugh._

_A short time later we were on the road. I started out the window and pouted as she drove my truck out of the main part of town, and I realized I had no freaking clue where this party Alice was dragging me to was supposed to be. We passed over the bridge at the Calawah River, the road winding northward, the houses flashing past up growing father apart, getting bigger. At that point we were past the other houses altogether, driving through misty forest. I was trying to decide whether to ask or be patient when she turned abruptly onto an unpaved road. The forest came in on us from both sides, leaving the road ahead only visible a few feet as it twisted around the trees. Internally, my mind chastised me. It was telling me that I was moron and that I don't go to parties. I wasn't one of the cool kids, I was the Police Chief's daughter and that usually meant I was persona non grata at things like this - nobody likes a potential squealer. _

_When Alice had insisted I come to the party at the old Masen place at lunch earlier in the week I'd looked at her like she had fangs and laughed. It had been a good joke and I'd told her so. She gave me the famous Alice pout and I'd tried to come up with a reason I wouldn't be welcomed but then she had to go and mention that Edward might be there with Jasper. Edward and I had become friendly during biology and I was curious as to what he was like outside of school...and my bedroom. Since the night he'd snuck in there had not been a repeat performance but I'd started leaving the window cracked a tiny bit in hopes he might decide to be bored again and visit me. Alice had watched my reaction carefully and I could tell she'd seen the reaction she was hoping for when she slammed her tiny fist on the table and insisted that I do this for her. My only reaction had been to groan and I'd dropped my forehead to the lunch table in defeat as Alice started talking about what we would wear._

_After a few miles, there was some thinning of the woods and we were suddenly in a small meadow or was it actually a lawn? It was overgrown but I could see there was a small sidewalk with weeds popping up through the cracks in the cement. _

_I don't know what I expected but it definitely wasn't what the 'old Masen place' delivered. The house was timeless, graceful and probably over a hundred years old. I could see that at one time it was painted a soft white. Three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors couldn't have possibly been part of the original construction, yet I couldn't imagine this house without the one side of the house made entirely of glass. My truck was the only car in sight and Alice had made sure that she'd backed far enough into the trees that it wouldn't be noticed. I could hear the river close by and I enjoyed the light breeze for a moment before music suddenly filtered through my consciousness as we walked into the house._

_The music was loud and it was wall to wall people. Everywhere I looked there were kids grinding against each other in time to the music, drinking, laughing and there was definately some making out. _

_"Alice.." I whispered nervously eyeing the couple in the corner. The girl had her eyes closed and she was slumped against the wall, the boy with her had both hands up her shirt. "What's wrong with that girl??"_

_Alice looked in the direction I was nodding and quickly rolled her eyes. "She's just having a good time Bella. Lighten up." I nodded as if I had a clue and we moved towards the kitchen where there was an abundance of glass bottles with different colored liquid in them. I'd never had a drink in my life and suddenly I was sure coming here was a bad idea. I looked to Alice to guide me, but she seemed right at home.  
_

_I watched as Alice instructed a blond guy to fix us both drinks. As we waited my body was lurched forward as a guy bumped into me, nearly spilling whatever was in his green plastic cup down the front of my dress. He grinned at me and I wrinkled my nose as the smell of stale alcohol burned my nose. _

_I felt him put his big sweaty hand on my shoulder and I shuddered in revulsion as he leaned into talk to me._

_"Enjoying the party?" he yelled. I winced and moved away, grabbing for the drink the bartender guy handed me and I took a huge sip and promptly spit it out at the drunk that had been trying to talk to me. He yelled and then lifted his shirt to wipe off his face. He was still shouting 'hey brown haired girl!' as Alice pulled me away and into the living room. She tried to get me to dance but I begged off and leaned against the wall in the corner as she disappeared into the crowd. I frowned. I knew Alice took full advantage of the typical teenage life and had spent plenty of time at parties just like this but she knew I hadn't and she'd promised me that she'd stick to me like glue all night. _

_My eyes swept the room for any familiar face and my gaze caught on none other than the lab partner in question. I could catch only glimpses of him through the crowd of moving bodies but I saw a flash of bronze and I knew it had to be him. I tried to stand on my tip toes and be invisible at the same time when I heard a breathy voice in my ear._

_"What are we looking at?" I jumped, startled and my heart raced in fear as turned to see the heavy breather behind me. A grin came over my face as I frantically tried to calm my heartbeat._

_"Jasper!" I exclaimed. I was so excited to see Jasper, he and Edward were best friends and I knew if he was here more than likely Edward was too. _

_Jasper chuckled and cocked an eyebrow at me then leaned back toward my ear. "You drink?" he said, pointing at my still full cup. I quickly shook my head no. I motioned for him to lean down and he did._

_"Alice made me come." I pulled away as he nodded with a smile. He looked around for a moment and then back at me and smiled again. "You don't look like you are having a very good time." Again, I shook my head no and said the name of my kidnapper again. Jasper laughed and put an arm around me and squeezed my shoulder. "Do you want to dance?" _

_I grimaced and leaned up so he could hear me. "Dancing, not such a good idea for me. I'll just step all over your feet!" He laughed again and pulled my drink out of my hand and set them both down on the ledge behind him and then grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the middle of the room. "I happen to like that!" He winked as we were swallowed up by the crowd._

_After the song ended, Jasper asked for another dance but I politely declined and went in search of Alice. I searched the party with no sign of her and eventually ended up on the back porch. I looked around for Alice but didn't see anyone and had turned to go back inside when I caught movement from the corner of my eye at the back of the porch. I could see a silhouette of a person sitting on the rail, leaning against the house with one leg pulled up. I jumped as the shadow moved and I heard a ghostly chuckle in my direction._

_"Hello?" I questioned cautiously. I moved towards the shadow person and stilled as the chuckles continued. _

_"Bella." the figured said and tipped its drink to me. The person moved to have both feet on the porch and stood, throwing the liquid in his cup over the railing before setting it down and then walking toward me. As he came closer I realized it was Edward. I felt the giddy feelings I only associated with being near him wash over me and I smiled, a little nervous. _

_He directed us over to another part of the railing facing the forest surrounding the house and we stood side by side, leaning on our forearms. _

_"So..." I said awkwardly. I'd spent most of my time at this damn party looking for him and now that I had his attention I didn't have the faintest clue what to say. _

_In the faint light coming from the house I could see him staring out into the darkness but as I watched a smirk pulled up the side of his mouth that was visible to me and he turned his head towards me. _

_"Yes Bella?"_

_'Er..think stupid! Say something!' I thought to myself frantically. _

_"Um..So what did you do last night?" I asked._

_He chuckled and turned his face back to the trees in front of us. "Not a chance. It's my day to ask questions remember?" We'd been playing 20 questions when given free time in biology and I'd used up my last one for the day at school by asking him his favorite book. He replied he didn't read much and it had spurned a heated discussion from me that was almost completely one sided. I was very passionate about books and he just watched me go off on the topic with a grin on his face that made it hard for me to concentrate. _

_"Oh, that's right. What do you want to know?" My forehead creased. I couldn't imagine anything about me that could be in anyway interesting to him. He'd said he wanted to be my friend but I had a hard time believing that I was anything more than a lab partner. _

_"What's your favorite color?" he asked as he turned his back to the forest and leaned back on his elbows against the railing, his face grave. I rolled my eyes._

_"It changes from day to day."_

_"What's your favorite color today?" He was still, waiting for my answer. I huffed and studied my hands intently._

_"Brown." I said. He was quiet and I looked over at him. He snorted, dropping his serious expression._

_"Brown?" He asked, skeptically._

_"Sure. Brown is warm. Everything that's supposed to be brown - tree trunks, rocks, dirt - is all covered up with squashy green stuff here. " I complained._

_He seemed fascinated by my little rant, and considered the information for a moment while staring into my eyes. _

_"You're right." he decided, serious again. "Brown is warm." He straightened and turned towards me. He reached over hesitantly and swept my hair back behind my shoulder. I was facing him now and I shivered as he stepped towards me. _

_He was close enough that I could feel his warm breath in my face. It was sweet like mint with a touch of alcohol. I started to feel slightly dizzy as he whispered my name and his right hand came up to stroke my cheek. I could feel the heat from the blush that was no doubt turning my face pink but I couldn't seem to make myself be embarrassed about it. Blushing was just a reaction that Edward seemed to bring out in me automatically. His hand shaped to the side of my face as he leaned in closer and moved his hand down to use the pad of his thumb, slowly rubbing over my bottom lip. I felt a tingling sensation where he was touching me and the desperate urge to be closer to him was overwhelming._

_My heart was beating out of control, my mind racing. Was this it? Was Edward going to kiss me? My eyelids fluttered shut as his hand moved to cup my chin and I could feel his lips hovering over mine when someone shouted inside the house and the spell we'd created in the dark was broken. _

_We jumped apart from each other as people started streaming out of the house. I looked at Edward in confusion as he watched them scatter and suddenly I noticed the all too familiar red and blue flashing lights that had pulled up in front of the house. _

_"Charlie!" I gasped. Edward nodded. "It's a raid, someone must've called them." _

_"What do we do, he can't find me here!" I wailed, panicking. _

_Edward turned and put both hands on the rail, vaulting over it easily and landing on the grass below with barely a thud. He reached up his arms to me._

_"Jump." he urged. _

_'Jump?!' I thought to myself. "Are you crazy?!" I said out loud._

_He motioned for me again. "Bella we have to go, they'll come back here first."_

_I hesitated only for a moment more before taking a deep breath and hopping up on the railing and swinging my legs over the side. _

_"Bella. Do you trust me?" he whispered quickly. I nodded. _

_"Then come on!" he nearly shouted and that's all it took. _

_I jumped and trusted he would catch me. He did, and set me gently on the ground before grabbing my hand firmly and I followed his lead as we both broke into a run. It was then I remembered about Alice and my truck._

_"What about Alice?!" I shouted as we ran in to the forest. _

_"She'll be fine!" he shouted back to me. We stopped at an old wooden fence on the edge of the property line and he helped me over it and when I stopped to wait for him he motioned for me to run._

_"Go!" he shouted before he backed away._

_"What about you?" I screamed. He shook his head quickly and I saw the deputy heading his way. He hissed for me to run, so I did. _

_It didn't take me but a moment to reach my truck hidden in a bunch of trees. At this time of the night the red paint of my Chevy blended in with the darkness of the forest and nobody had realized I was parked here. I briefly wondered where the hell all those other people had parked their cars as I pulled the keys from my bag and started the ignition. As my truck came to life, I pushed the accelerator down and sped out of the trees. For some reason getting back onto the main road was a lot easier to find on the way out than the driveway to the house had been and I realized that Alice must've taken some kind of back way when we'd arrived earlier. I felt guilt about Alice but as I drove down the road all I could feel was relief that'd gotten away without Charlie knowing I'd been there._

_A short time later I pulled into my driveway, the cruiser still gone. I parked the truck and sighed in relief as I made my way up the steps and into the house. _

_As I closed the door, I leaned my back against it and slid to the floor with my eyes closed. I sat there for a moment, thinking about the events of the evening._

_Edward had been about to kiss me. Alice totally disappeared. I danced with Jasper and didn't break anything. It had been one hell of a night and one I didn't think I really cared to repeat. 'Except the kissing part.' I thought to myself with a small grin. _

_I made my way up the stairs and washed my face in the small bathroom, brushed my teeth and hair and turned out the light. I walked into my room and changed into my pajamas before falling into bed exhausted. _

_I'd made it home._

_I hadn't had anything to drink the night before but despite that I still woke up grumbling at the sun as it shone into my eyes._

_I got up and went downstairs with intent to make breakfast as I usually did on Saturday mornings for myself and Charlie. This morning was different though. I noticed as I looked out the window that the cruiser was still gone. 'Hmm..That's odd.' I thought. _

_I busied myself by fixing a bowl of cereal and had just sat down at the kitchen table when Charlie pulled into the driveway._

_He walked in the door and I gave him a sympathetic look._

_"Hey Bells." he said, exhausted. He hung up his holster and jacket and sat down at the table. He rubbed his hand over his face and slapped his hands on the table._

_"Rough night?" I asked. He nodded. I got up and got the ingredients to make eggs and put them on the counter as I dug a pan out from the cabinet. _

_"I'll make you breakfast." I said._

_"Bella." he said. I stopped what I was doing and turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised._

_He patted the table in front of him and I hesitantly sat down. _

_"Bella, there do you know where I spent the majority of my night?" asked Charlie._

_I fought to keep the guilty look off my face as I shook my head and made my eyes widen._

_"I was at the old Masen place, Bella." he searched my face for a sign of recognition but I kept it blank. I hoped._

_"There were a lot of kids from your school that were caught with open containers. We were there because we caught call about trespassing but when we got there it smelled like a damn brewery and we hauled several of them in and kept them overnight. _

_I gulped the juice I'd set out to have with my cereal and waited for him to continue. When he didn't, I squinted at him._

_"Where are you going with this Char- er, Dad?" I asked. Calling him Charlie now would not help me. _

_"Well Bella you told me that Edward Cullen is your lab partner and I want you to know that he's one of the kids I took in last night. That boy has issues, Bells and I want you to stay away from him." _

_Internally I felt my heart squeeze painfully. 'Edward was arrested last night.' I thought. 'He was arrested because of me.' I felt like I was going to be sick. I knew he'd been in trouble but he'd told me he'd learned his lesson after spending time at the church helping out with bingo. At the time I'd laughed but now I was just ashamed of myself for letting him push me away. 'Maybe if I'd stayed I could've done something. Doesn't being the Chief's daughter have any power at all?' I knew that was crap thinking though, if I'd tried to step in all that would've done would get us both thrown in jail. Charlie was all about setting examples and he would've been fine with me spending a night in the pokey to learn a lesson. _

_I nodded at Charlie and gave him a stiff smile. _

_"I'm just going to go get cleaned up and then head out to run some errands." I said, setting my bowl and glass in the sink. I moved towards the stairs and stopped short when I heard Charlie clear his throat._

_"I meant what I said Bella. Edward Masen is bad news." _

_I bolted up the stairs and showered and dressed quickly. 'What a freaking mess.' I thought as I walked out the door and got in the truck._

_My only priority right now was Edward. Everything else could wait._

_As I pulled up in front of the Cullen house I could hear my heartbeat racing in my ears. I was incredibly nervous and my cereal threatened to make a return appearance as I walked up the path to the front steps and knocked on the door. I waited, wringing my hands together. _

_After a few moments I knocked again and had just decided to turn around and leave when the door opened. Dr. Cullen stood in the door way and internally I gasped at how tired he looked. _

_"Um..is Edward home?" I asked._

_Dr. Cullen looked at me for a moment and then stepped back from the door way and motioned for me to come inside. I stepped into the foyer and gasped. It was very bright, very open, and very large. This must have originally been several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most of the first floor to create one wide space. A massive curving staircase was the focal point of the room. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floors, and the thick carpet were all varying shades of white mixed with the rich accents of brown from woodwork and furniture. _

_He motioned up the stairs and told me that Edward's room was at the end of the hall._

_"Thank you." I said as I moved towards the stairs. He called my name and I turned to look back at him as he gave me a tired smile. "Call me Carlisle."_

_I nodded shyly and made my way up the stairs._

_I'd only taken a few steps down the hall way before I heard a small voice coming from the opposite end. _

_"Bella?" Alice said softly. _

_I saw her standing in her doorway, her face haggard wearing a yellow terrycloth robe. It struck me as odd that Alice owned anything terrycloth but my amusement faded as I she pulled me into her room and sat me on her bed, perching beside me. Alice pulled her knees up to her chest and put her head on my shoulder. _

_"I'm so sorry about last night." she whispered in a wavering voice. _

_"It's ok." I said._

_She lifted her head and shook it back and forth quickly in protest before groaning and dropping her forehead to her raised knees. "Not a good idea." she muttered. Alice took a deep breath and then let it out slowly before continuing, not looking at me._

_"I meant I'm sorry for leaving you. I have to tell you the truth Bella. I left you alone because I saw you dancing with Jasper. I had already had a little too much to drink and I was buzzed and I...well, I was jealous Bella."_

_My eyes were wide. I'd had no idea Alice felt anything towards Jasper but the idea that I had the power to make someone jealous left me reeling. 'Me? She's jealous of me?!' _

_"Alice, I'm not interested in Jasper." _

_She looked at me for a moment before squealing and throwing her arms around me in a hug. _

_"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you. I'm so glad you don't hate me. I've liked Jasper for practically forever and when I saw you dancing with him I just lost it." _

_I nodded. I imagined how I'd feel if I was in her position. It must be awful to see someone you have feelings for with somebody else. _

_"Alice. Charlie told me that Edward was arrested." _

_Alice bit her lip and nodded slowly. _

_"How is he?" I asked tentatively. _

_Alice shrugged and tilted her head in the direction of the door. "He hasn't been out of his room, I haven't talked to him. I just heard him fighting with our dad this morning when he brought him home." _

_"I need to apologize to him." I said sadly. _

_Alice cocked her head to one side and gave me that 'What the hell are you talking about Bella?' look she got every so often. I shrugged._

_"It's my fault. If I hadn't been there he wouldn't have been caught."_

_Alice rolled her eyes and stood, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her little foot on the gold carpet. _

_"Bella Swan. It is not your fault that my stupid brother was arrested. It's not like you stood in front of him and waved white flags to get the cops to notice the two of you." _

_I shook my head and began to protest but Alice cut me off._

_"It's my fault you were at the party and you have nothing to do with Edward being arrested. It's just something that happened Bella. We all knew the risks when we crossed the property line but we did it anyway. There is no reason to blame yourself." _

_I shrugged. Alice rolled her eyes and a small smile pushed up one side of her mouth. _

_"Last door on the right. Can't miss it. Has Emo radiating out of it in waves." _

_I stood and she and I hugged again. She truly was the best friend I'd had and I was so happy that we were ok. _

_Now came the hard part, talking to Edward. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders as I left Alice's room and I heard her laugh behind me. "Good luck Marie! Have fun with the guillotine!" she called. _

_I, too, laughed at that. Alice had a wicked - and morbid - sense of humor at times. Her teasing had me thinking and I wondered if instead of a facing a guillotine I was about to try my hand a lion taming. I knew Edward had a temper and Alice had said he and his dad fought this morning, and then Edward hadn't come out of his room. I wondered what mood I would find him in. _

_I knocked on his door and jumped when something hit the door._

_"Go AWAY Alice." he shouted. _

_"It's Bella." I said quietly. I'd wondered for a moment if he heard me when the door flew open and he was standing there staring down at me, his eyes wide in surprise. His face was quickly wiped of the emotion and he stood there glaring at me._

_"Go home, Bella." he moved back to shut the door but I stuck my foot in to stop it from closing. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "I'm serious Bella, you shouldn't be here!"_

_I put my left hand against the door and pushed as I moved into the room and he stepped back from me. _

_"I'm sorry!" I blurted. He faced away from me now, his fists clenched at his sides. "There is nothing to be sorry for Bella, just go." _

_"Edward. You said we were friends last night. Now I came to apologize for getting my friend thrown in jail. Are you going to accept my apology or what?" _

_He turned his head slightly towards me and I could see his cheek lifted as if he might be smiling a little. "If I don't?" _

_"Then I'm going to become a spider monkey and attach myself to your back and you will never get rid of me." I said. I smiled, hoping my ridiculous response would be enough to take advantage of the almost smile I could hear in his voice. _

_"Fine Bella. Apology accepted, now will you please go?" he said quietly. _

_My smile faded and I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder, but before I could speak he jumped away from me as if he'd been burned. A little hurt, I let my hand drop to my side. "Why won't you let me in, Edward?" I said. _

_He sat down at his desk and rested his elbows on his knees as he scrubbed his hands over his face and then ran hand harshly through his hair. _

_"I'm not a good friend for you Bella. Trouble follows me everywhere I go." he laughed humorlessly and then sighed. "Bella there are things you don't know about me, I'm not like you."_

_"There can't possibly be anything you could say that would make me turn away from you Edward. I'm a big girl, I can handle it. I'm a freaking cop's daughter! I seriously doubt there is much you could tell me that would shock me." _

_As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I was a little scared of what he might tell me. Sure, I'd heard stories. Charlie never would talk about anything job related but the boys down at the station loved to tell me things when I'd come to visit Charlie. It had never been about people I knew or cared about though. Edward's confession would be different._

_He stood then and walked across the room and stared down at me. "I've done things at parties.. I've stolen...This isn't the first time I've had to spend the night in jail. I'm sure your dad mentioned I've got anger issues Bella. It's not safe to be around me." _

_I stood there, defiantly staring up at him. I already knew he'd shoplifted, he told me himself when I asked why he'd taken up old lady bingo. This didn't bother me. The mention of the anger issues momentarily stopped me but I pushed by it. _

_"You're young Edward. Kids do stupid things like steal Twinkies from mini-marts." I was not impressed. I raised an eyebrow at him, encouraging him to continue. _

_"I was arrested for getting into a fight with a guy in a bar." _

_This one made my eyebrows meet my hairline. "You're not old enough to go into a bar!" I scoffed, my eyes were wide. Edward smirked._

_"Another reason, you're too damn innocent. It's easy to get a fake i.d. Bella. I was drunk and he stiffed me in the game of pool we were playing and kept taunting me. Before I knew what had happened he was on the floor and I was being handcuffed and dragged out for assault and public drunkenness, not to mention underage drinking. _

_I stood my ground. Edward was a good person, and I was determined to prove to him that I wasn't going anywhere. The look on my face must've tipped him off that I wasn't scared of him because suddenly I felt myself backed up against the wall and both of his hands slammed on either side of my head. We were nose to nose and I knew that I should be scared of this sudden display but all I could think was back to the night he snuck into my room and how we were in the very same position now._

_The same electricity I'd felt then was flowing like a current between his body and mine. My heart sped, half from being startled by his sudden dominance and the other half was just Edward. He caused reactions like this in me. I could only hope that he felt it too.  
_

_"Dammit Bella, you have no sense of self preservation." he said through gritted teeth, his eyes closed. We were quiet for a moment as he tried to compose himself and when he opened his eyes, they were dark with frustration._

_"I'm trying to tell you that I'm not friend material. Hanging around me will only get you into trouble. You nearly were the one in the back of the squad car last night." he said softly. _

_He pulled one hand back from the door and pushed my hair back behind my ear. "I couldn't stand it if something happened to you because of me." _

_"Nothing is going to happen. You can trust me." I whispered. _

_He shook his head slowly and searched my face. "Bella it's not a matter of trusting you, it's a matter of worrying for you. I mean what I said. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. You are the most important thing to me. The most important ever." _

_My breath caught in my throat. He cupped my cheek and rubbed his with his thumb. _

_"That's why you have to stay away from me. I can't protect you from myself." he sighed and rested his forehead on mine, as his eyes fluttered closed. "I'm so tired of trying to stay away from you." he whispered._

_"Then don't." I said, softly. He opened his eyes and pulled back from me slightly. He laughed quietly and brought his other hand down taking my face in both his hands. _

_"You are going to be the death of me, you know that don't you?" _

_I had heard him speak but my brain was on overload with the sensation coursing through me at his sudden closeness. His lips once again hovering over mine and I expected Alice to come crashing through the door or the house to collapse on top of us and interrupt but none of those things happened. _

_Edward gently brushed his lips over mine once, twice, and then again. My lips felt like they were on fire as he took my bottom lip in between his and slowly pulled away before coming back to do it a second time. _

_I moved my hands from my sides and rested them against his chest as I leaned into him. My entire body reacted to the feel of his lips on mine and I felt like I might shatter to pieces from the rush of sparks that flew through me. _

_I'd never been kissed before but instinctively I felt like there should be more and I tentatively brushed the tip of my tongue over his lip and he groaned and pulled away breathing heavily. He rested his forehead against mine and I moved my arms up to wind around his neck while he moved his down and around my waist pulling me into a hug as he put his mouth to my ear._

_"Finally." he whispered._

_I just smiled._

* * *

I roused myself finally and got up, dressed for the day and satisfied that the room looked tidy I quickly closed the door behind me and walked down the hallway to the stairs as the smell of bacon wafted up to me. I could hear someone moving around the kitchen, a deep booming voice that could only belong to Emmett Cullen. I'd just had dinner with Emmett and his wife the week before but he gave off a big brother vibe that made me feel safe and comforted. I smiled and moved quickly down the stairs to greet him. I walked in to the kitchen and stopped short at the sight in front of me.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer **

**Things I Own: 10 year old Lotion I recently found that smells weird, several new books I can't seem to read because I can't pull myself off of ff(dot)net and of course Sullenward**

**Things I Do Not Own: SM or her brain and the characters and ideas held within.**

_OK so this story wasn't updated this weekend like I'd hoped/promised but it was close! I'll be out of town this coming weekend so the next update will be a week or two. This chapter is pretty heavy with swinging POV's - I'm sorry, I couldn't figure out any other way to get all the views in that I wanted. Hope it's not confusing! Be sure to read the A/N below for an announcement!_

_Thanks again to philadelphic and SlayerKitty00 for all their help with my plot roadblocks!  
_

_Enjoy!  
_

* * *

BPOV

Emmett Cullen with his dark curly hair and dimples was standing in front of the stove with a frilly apron tied around his waist. I walked a little further into the room and tensed when I noticed Edward sitting hunched over at the island, his big hands wrapped around a coffee mug.

There was steam pouring out of the cup and wafting up into the room and I inhaled. I loved the smell of coffee but despised the taste. Edward had been a huge coffee drinker once I'd convinced him to stop drinking after we'd gotten together but as I tried to stealthily look at him as I crossed the room I noticed that his hair was sticking up all over as if he'd spent the night running his hand through it and his eyes were heavily-lidded and appeared bloodshot.

Edward looked hungover. I furrowed my brow in confusion - had he taken up drinking again while he'd been away? Had I driven him to start back up? I sighed as I realized I'd probably never get the answer to those questions as I reminded myself for about the millionth time that Edward wanted nothing to do with me ever again.

As I made my way to Emmett, I went to nod politely in Edward's direction and stumbled. Emmett saw this and laughed loudly as I blushed furiously and looked for whatever had tripped me. Nothing. I'd tripped over my own feet. I groaned and smacked Emmett on the shoulder.

"Shut up, Martha!" I said with disdain.

Emmett quickly set the spatula down and turned down the fire on the stove before spinning around and lifting me up into a huge bear hug.

"Can't-Breathe-Em!" I choked as I struggled to take a deep breath. He quickly set me down on my feet with a wink and turned back to his cooking. I stood looking over his shoulder at the pan on the stove and the mixing bowl filled with red and green onions, shallots, mustard, thyme cheese and sugar. Sugar was all over the counter and there were little bits of red onion in Emmett's hair - it appeared that Emmett was trying to make an omelet.

"I didn't know you could cook!" I said.

Emmett nodded proudly and dumped the mixture into the pan. He stirred and then put the mixture into the oven, set the timer, then turned to me with a grin.

"I'm making mom an omelet." he said. "She likes the french onion kind. I had to look up the recipe online but I think I got it right." He looked at me for a second and then over at Edward, who hadn't budged during my near face plant or our conversation, and then back to me again.

He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him.

"I'm sorry I sent you to get him Bells. I didn't know he'd act like an asshole. I thought it would be a good idea." he apologized quietly. I just shrugged. It had been like I was doing a favor for Alice, so I was fine with it even though it hurt to see him after so long.

Emmett cleared his throat and then looked over at Edward.

"Mom would like to see you Edward. You should go up with me when the food is done."

Edward just grunted and continued to keep his head down in the coffee cup that was no longer steaming but had probably gone cold. I frowned at his rudeness. I knew he hated me but what was his issue with Emmett?

Emmett sighed and turned his face back to me and gave my shoulder a squeeze. "What about you Bella? I'm sure she'd like to see you too."

I shook my head. "I don't think that's such a good idea. She needs rest, not visitors." He opened his mouth to protest but I interrupted him.

"How is she really?" I asked, staring down at my clasped hands. As far as I knew Esme still hadn't come out of her room. I had no idea what she did in there all day but I knew Emmett was spending all his time there with his mother.

Emmett scrubbed a hand over his face and ran and hand back and forth in his curly hair. He sighed roughly.

"I don't know. She just sits in the chair by the window and rocks or she watches TV but she doesn't really talk. I don't think she's really sleeping either. I've tried to get her to lay down but she just wants to sit in that damn chair. I can't get her to leave the room. I did convince her to shower and dress but that's about it. She's eating when I bring her food but she won't ask for it. She's depressed I guess but I just don't get it. I mean, we're all upset and afraid for Alice but we're still getting out of bed."

I nodded.

"She's just dealing with things her own way, Em. I'm sure we'll get some news soon and it will perk her right up." I said, trying to inject hope in my voice. As I heard the words come out of my mouth, I cringed. I sounded like a cheerleader on a sugar high.

Emmett's timer went off and he grabbed the hot pad off the counter and pulled the pan out of the oven. He fixed up a plate and put it on a tray with a glass of water. He paused and looked at us both with a grim expression.

"I'm going to take this to mom and then I'm going to go home and change and spend some time with Rosie." he said, then paused again.

"You both really should consider coming up. I can't keep doing this by myself."

With that, Emmett left the room and made his way to up to Esme. I heard him mumble something in the hallway and then heard Jasper's voice and footsteps padding toward the kitchen.

I kept my eyes expectantly on the door and in walked a barefoot Jasper wearing flannel pajama pants and a t shirt with a guitar on it. He was carrying a UPS envelope and scratching his stomach underneath the shirt. He yawned and threw it on the counter top before walking across the kitchen and sitting as far from the still silent Edward, whose coffee I noticed, was now gone.

I could tell Edward had acknowledged Jasper's entrance as I saw him stiffen and his mouth twist into a grimace.

I went and poured myself a glass of orange juice and then I, too, took up residence at the massive island in the middle of the enormous kitchen.

We all sat in awkward strained silence until my curiosity got the better of me and I grabbed the box and looked at it. My eyebrows drew inward in confusion as I looked at the return address.

"Who is it from?" Jasper asked.

"It doesn't have a name, but its addressed to Edward. The return address is from Gresham, Oregon." I answered.

At his name Edward's head snapped up and for the first time since the airport he actually looked directly at me. "Oregon?" he said, his voice raspy. He looked confused as I held the envelope out to him. He reached out to take it from me and our fingers brushed as he grabbed the envelope. Tingles rushed from my fingertips up my arm and I noticed that his fingers twitched in response as we both tried to subtly shake off our attraction to the other.

I cleared my throat and pointed at the offending object. "Are you expecting something?"

He shook his head no, and tore the flap. He looked inside for a moment and then held the envelope upside down to shake its contents out on the counter top.

It was a necklace and I recognized it immediately. I gasped and Edward nodded. I looked at Jasper and could see his jaw flex as he clenched his teeth together.

"Alice's necklace." Edward whispered. Alice had told me the story. She'd gone to London to visit Edward at college and had come back with this gorgeous necklace. He'd taken her to the university's Botanic Garden and she'd adored the orchids on display. He'd immediately bought an item from Nannapas's real flower collection to surprise her.

It was gorgeous. The creator had taken a real orchid and coated it in lacquer. The flower was strung on cotton, and had individual petals suspended on the drop. It was very original and feminine, almost vintage looking. It suited Alice perfectly and she loved it. She wore it as often as she dared, worrying it might be damaged. It was obvious she'd worn it the day she was taken, and whoever had her was sending this necklace to Edward now as a clue.

"Why would someone take Alice there?" I wondered aloud as I watched Edward's face carefully. I could see the wheels turning in his head, his strong jaw flexed as he worked is memory for something that might be significant.

"When we went to the Botanic Garden, Alice met a classmate of mine. His name is James. I actually can't stand him, but his dad and our Dad were classmates when they were in med school together."

We were all silent for a minute, contemplating this new information.

"I don't see what James has to do with Alice missing. He's in another country, Edward. On the other side of that, what does James have to do with Gresham?" I asked.

Edward continued to stare at the jewelry on the table, and traced the petals of the orchid with an index finger. He was deep in thought, his brows furrowed as he looked down at the silver links that made up the necklace.

"We need to show this to my dad." he said gruffly. He snatched up the necklace and the envelope and slid the jewelery gently inside. He made his way out of the room then, Jasper and I following closely behind him.

EPOV

I pushed open the door of my father's study and he jumped as it slammed into the wall. I threw the package down on his desk and slammed both hands on his desk as I glared at him.

"Edward, wha-" he started but I held up a hand to cut him off.

"James Volturi has Alice." I said with clenched teeth. I watched as my father's eyes widened in recognition of the name and then narrowed in confusion.

"Why would he have your sister?"

"I don't know Dad." I spat. "You tell me! He's the son of your old med school buddy. Can you think of any reason he'd take Alice?"

My father shook his head and stood quickly, placing both fists on his desk and leaning toward me. At his sudden movement I heard a surprised squeak behind me and I knew Bella and Jasper had followed me into the room. I paid them no mind, I was furious that my father might know something and hadn't mentioned it to anyone.

"I don't have any idea why he would want to take Alice, Edward." he said quietly. "What I do know is that I am still your father and you will show me respect. I will not have you speak to me in that tone."

I straightened and backed up slightly. I immediately felt remorse at my accusation. "I'm sorry dad, I'm just frustrated. Look in the envelope." I said, collapsing into the chair in front of the desk. I waved my hand in the direction of the offending object as I encouraged him to open it.

He opened it and pulled out the necklace and held it up for inspection. "A necklace, son?"

I nodded and heard Jasper and Bella shuffle forward from their position in the doorway of the room. I felt the current that I associated with Bella ruffle the hairs on the nape of my neck and knew that she'd come up behind my chair before she'd taken a breath to speak.

"Carlisle, it belongs to Alice." she whispered.

His eyebrow arched as he looked from Bella to myself and I nodded in confirmation.

After I gave him a brief background of the necklace his eyes showed recognition, he too had noticed this necklace that his daughter wore so often. It was the first lead we'd had to go on and it was incredibly important. I knew that James and his family were originally from Portland and I had no doubt that they were keeping Alice nearby. Why, I didn't know but I was determined to find out.

"We need to get this to Charlie so he and the Police can analyze it." said Bella.

"That's a good idea. I'll contact them." said my father.

The three of us left the study then at my fathers insistence on privacy. I went out to the backyard and sat on the glider my parents had put out there a few summers ago in one of Alice's decorating fits. She'd taken over the house and when that was done, she'd moved on to the backyard. I smiled a little the memory as I looked around at all the flowers my mother had planted since I'd been away. So many things were exactly the same and yet different. I didn't really feel like part of this world anymore. My life was at school now.

I was startled out of my thoughts when I felt a weight on the seat beside me. I didn't have to look to see who it was. I'd have to be dead not to feel her presence beside me and to be honest I doubted that even death would stop this insane chemistry we had between us.

"You should be inside." I said quietly. I didn't have the strength to fight her right now, I was holding on to the rope of my sanity with broken hands and my grip was rapidly slipping.

She scoffed and ignored me. "Why would your school friend have Alice?" she wondered aloud as she set the glider in motion.

I shrugged.

"Were you friends?" she asked, squinting in the bright mid-morning sun as she brought her little hand up to her brow to shield her eyes. I could feel her looking at me and just from her eyes on me I could feel goosebumps break down my arms. I internally cursed my body and its reaction, willing it to go away for the hundredth time.

"No. James and I have always been competitors - grades, sports, girls.." I trailed off when I felt her stiffen slightly beside me and I cleared my throat before continuing.

"There will be no love lost between us when I beat the hell out of him. When we met at the Botanical Garden Alice told me he came on to her and she turned him down. I didn't think anything of it, but I should have. James has never been anything but a sore loser. Chasing girls is like sport to him but I really can't imagine that he'd go so far as to.."

I trailed off again as the words died in my throat. I just couldn't believe that someone that I knew - even someone who didn't like me and that I disliked equally in return - would be so cruel as to kidnap someone. There had to be something we were missing.

"It's not your fault Edward."

I bit my lip to hold in the anger I wanted to shout out at the statement. Logically I knew it wasn't my fault but dammit I was her older brother, I was supposed to protect her. I went away and left her here. The fact that she had another older brother and a boyfriend who were here with her every single day wasn't lost on me but worry and guilt has little room for logic. James was a person I'd brought into her life. If she hadn't come to visit me, they never would've met.

"It's not." I agreed, lying through the lump in my throat.

We were quiet again after that, rocking in strained silence until Jasper stuck his head out the back door and called for us to come inside. He brought news that my father had been in contact with the Police and he wanted to see us all in the living room.

BPOV

Without a word the three of us shuffled in to the living room where Carlisle filled us in on his conversation with the Police. He'd spoken with Charlie and they'd agreed to have the necklace sent by overnight mail to be analyzed by the Port Angeles PD.

Charlie had told him that if this James truly did have Alice in Oregon, it was out of their jurisdiction and was a matter for the FBI as a true kidnapping case. He'd agreed to get in touch with his FBI contact and get back to us.

In the meantime we were to sit tight and not do anything rash. I watched Edward out of the corner of my eye. His fists where clenched tightly on either arm of the chair he was sitting in and I could see the wheels spinning in his mind. There was no way he'd let this go on while he sat there doing nothing.

Carlisle dismissed us all and left for his afternoon shift at the hospital. I could tell Carlisle felt incredibly guilty about leaving, but he had said while he was unhappy with leaving the house while there was a family crisis going on people still got sick and needed doctors and it was his duty as a physician to take care if them. Duty was something I could understand, being the daughter of a police chief.

As we were leaving Edward's cell phone rang. He moved out of the room as he answered it, while Jasper and I sat on the couch. I wasn't sure what to do with myself or the new information that had been provided to us and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.

Jasper shushed me and pulled me to him and I let myself go. I cried into his shirt for a good 15 minutes before pulling away.

"I've ruined your shirt!" I said, rubbing the wet spot underneath the collar of his shirt. He shrugged.

"It's just a shirt."

I looked at him, wondering how he could be so calm.

"Jazz - why are you so damn calm?"

He didn't say anything for a minute and just when I thought he might not answer, he did.

"I have to believe she's ok Bella, and so do you. I think - no, I know. I know in my heart if something was truly wrong or if she'd been hurt, I'd feel it. I have to believe that Charlie and the Police are doing everything they can. Obviously this is bigger than a small town Sheriff can handle and if this James guy has her then its more than the PAPD could do. It's time to bring out the big guns and if Charlie says the big gun is the FBI then I'm all for it."

It was more than I'd heard Jasper say without swearing in a long time. I stared at him, stunned.

I smiled tremulously at him and after a big sigh he smiled back.

"We'll get her back." I whispered and squeezed his hand.

A crash echoed through the hallway suddenly, sending both Jasper and I straight to our feet.

Edward stormed into the room with a murderous expression on his face. He walked on the shattered crystal of the vase he'd thrown at the wall, creating a loud crunching sound beneath his feet.

"That was him on the phone." he snarled.

I gasped and grabbed Jasper's arm.

"What did he want?" asked Jasper.

Edward's eyes narrowed momentarily on my hand on Jasper's arm and then darted away. I gulped and slowly let go of Jasper and moved closer to Edward.

"What did he say, Edward?" I asked quietly. I longed to reach out and touch him, to try to comfort him but I knew it would not be welcomed right now so I wrapped my arms around myself, flattening my hands to my ribcage to keep the temptation to touch him at bay.

Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly before staring down at me.

"He told me that I have to have a hundred thousand dollars to a mill in Gresham by dawn or they'll 'hurt' Alice." as he finished the sentence his fists clenched again at his sides.

I was confused. "Gresham?" I asked.

"It must be where they are keeping her - it's near Portland." Edward answered.

"I'm going with you." said Jasper as he came to stand in front of Edward. His tone dared Edward to fight him on this but he stood his ground and didn't back down.

"He said nobody is allowed to come with me. He's been stalking her, Jasper. He knows all about you. He'll spot you and run with her before either of us have a chance to do anything. Or worse. I have to go alone."

Jasper and Edward stood almost nose to nose, glaring at each other. They were shouting and Jasper pushed Edward and I saw his green eyes flash with anger. He was upset before and irrational but his anger had not been directed toward us. With that push it was on and they were surging at each other.

I screamed for them to stop it but they continued their argument with physical aggression and as Jasper reared back his fist to punch Edward I unwisely pushed in between them, a hand on each man's chest.

"STOP THIS NOW!" I shouted. I put my back to Edward and dug my feet into the floor with all my might leveraging him backwards and away from Jasper whose chest was heaving with his own rage.

"Fighting isn't going to help Alice!" I shouted again. It was deadly silent in the room for a moment and as I tried to calm my own flustered feelings I was suddenly very aware of my body pressed to Edward's, his chest rising and falling against my back with his labored breaths. I flinched away from the feel of him as if I were being burned.

I took a deep breath and released it while waiting for the men to calm.

"Edward. You need to let Charlie and the FBI handle it. All you will do is get yourself or Alice hurt if you run off half cocked." I said, watching as Edwards face reflected his insult at the thought that I didn't think he was capable of bringing Alice back.

"And Jasper - you need to stay here and help Emmett and Carlisle with Esme."

He started to protest, but I held my hand up cutting him off. "You have a responsibility to Alice to keep her family together. You know she wouldn't want either of you getting hurt trying to come after her. Let the FBI do their job."

Both men were silent and still glaring at each other before Edward started nodding slowly.

"You're right, Bella." he said. My head reared back in surprised and then my eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was up to something. Edward gave me a half smirk.

"It's best to leave it to the professionals."

I watched him leave the room, throwing something about getting the dustpan to clean up the mess he'd made in the hallway over his shoulder.

I sighed and blew the hair that had fallen into my face during all the drama out of my eyes. I didn't trust Edward for a minute, there was no way he wouldn't try to go after Alice and I was determined to stop him. I just didn't know how yet.

I turned to Jasper and eyed him warily.

"Are we good?" I asked.

He nodded, still clearly agitated.

"I'm sorry Jazz but you know that it's true. Alice would have my head if I let you run off to be hurt. She would want both of us here where its safe. She's counting on us, Jasper." I said quietly.

His shoulders slumped in resignation and he nodded his head.

EPOV

Let the FBI handle it, my ass. I got my sister into this mess there was no way in hell I was going to just let the FBI handle it. James had told me if I involved the police in anyway in our little rendezvous that he would hurt Alice and his filthy description of exactly what he would do to her is what causing me to throw the vase I was currently sweeping up in bits into a dust pan.

When I was done I walked into the kitchen and put the crystal pieces in the trash. I put the dustpan and broom back in the utility closet and quietly headed up to my room.

I sat on the edge of my bed and scrubbed my hands over my face. It was possible that I'd get hurt on this insane little mission of mine, but I had to try. I was determined to get Alice safely home no matter what happened to me. From talking with James it was clear that he was out of his fucking mind or extremely high, I wasn't sure which. Either way he was deadly serious and I couldn't let something like that happen to my sister on my account.

I pulled out my phone and 30 minutes later after a lot of thinly veiled threats and cursing, and some bribing it was clear that flying would not be an option. All flights out of forks to Portland were booked until Thursday - it was now Monday. What the hell could be going on in Portland that would have all the flights booked? It seemed as if something was working against me.

I finally decided I'd have to drive. I got on my computer and quickly logged into Google maps and saw that Gresham was only just under a 5 hour drive. With the way I drove, I could make it in just under 4. It was perfect. I would wait til everyone was asleep and then I'd make my exit.

I quietly packed a bag with only the essential - a change of clothes. I had my i.d. in my wallet and a map in the car of the western states. I just had to wait for the house to go to sleep.

I stayed in my room until after midnight and when I peeked my head out of the door, the house was silent.

I grabbed the bag and made my way quietly down the stairs and out the door to my car.

I opened the trunk and threw my bag in and closed it as quietly as I could. I opened the driver door and put the key in the ignition. I turned it and listened to the engine come to life. Keeping the headlights off I started to back out of the driveway only to have the passenger side door flung open and I watched with mouth hanging open as Bella flung herself into the seat.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed.

She clenched one hand on the arm rest in the middle and put her other against the dash while looked me straight in the eye. "I knew it!" she hissed. "I knew you weren't going to listen to me!

"Get out!"

"No!" she said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not getting out of the car unless you do. If you go, I go."

I groaned and banged my forehead against the steering wheel, throwing my hands up in the air.

"God dammit Bella. You can't go with me!" I nearly shouted. This woman could be the death of me, possibly both of us if she came along and I really didn't think I could stand 4 hours in the car alone with her.

"Deal with my going. Alice is my best friend and someone needs to get her out while your distracting James." she said stubbornly.

I scoffed. Distracting James. I had planned on strangling James with my bare hands and then beating the hell out of him..but never thought about how to get Alice out. Truth be told I hadn't really thought this out well. It depressed me to think that Bella had thought of saving Alice when all I could think of was beating James to a blood pulp. I took a deep breath and tried one more time to get her out of my car.

"Bella. Get out of the damn car." I said, gritting my teeth.

She shook her head again and shut the door, locking the lock. I smirked at the gesture. She knew full well I could unlock the door and dump her ass out on the driveway but we both knew I wouldn't.

"Fine. Put your seatbelt on." I said gruffly, and she did while I backed out of the driveway and drove off into the night.

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**A/N: Lots of you out there are reading, but I'm not getting many reviews. I've decided to deem myself a review whore and to get the goodies I so desperately crave I'm going to offer a prize. Those who review will get an APOV mini-chapter. Interested? Click that little green review button and let me know you are out there!!**

**As for James - I didn't want his last name to be Volturi but I couldn't think of anything else that sounded good!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: SM owns Alice and James - I own 'The Man". Ha!  
**

_This is the mini-chapter I offered you last time time we met - those who reviewed got a sneak peek (nothing has really changed) - and those who didn't, here you go! I am going to try to get the next chapter out before I leave town for the weekend but no promises - reviews make me write faster! ;)_

* * *

APOV

Something was dripping to my right.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

I thought if I had to keep hearing that damn drip I might lose my mind.

My arms were bound to the chair behind me, my legs tied together and looped through the bottom rung of the chair - loose enough that it wasn't uncomfortable but tight enough that there was no hope of my being able to get away.

I was blind-folded and the cloth over my eyes smelled like whiskey. My nose wrinkled as the stale smell turned my stomach once again and felt nausea roll through me.

I couldn't tell how long I'd been sitting here but it was damn cold wherever I was.

The skirt and blouse combo I was wearing was doing nothing to keep me warm in this drafty...warehouse? Abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere? This freaking mine shaft? I had no clue.

I heard footsteps and his voice and I stiffened.

"You will come alone or you'll regret it!" said James, and then he paused. He must've been talking to someone on the phone. Edward? Jasper? My heartbeat sped up and my mind raced with the possibility of how Jasper might come bursting through the door to get me out of here. My hero!

I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity and scolded myself for being such a damn girl. I was stronger than this dammit and I should've been able to get myself out of this mess but it really didn't look good.

I heard him give the person on the phone an address. Oregon? I'm in freaking Oregon?? Great. I never signed up for this stupid live version of Oregon Trail.

I felt the blind fold being pulled up and pushed back into my hair like a headband and I squinted while my eyes readjusted to the light of a single bulb hanging from the ceiling.

His dull blue eyes stared back at me, a smirk on his face.

"Good afternoon Alice!" he said and smacked my cheek lightly with one hand. "How are you today? I hope you slept well!"

He started chuckling at my visible discomfort as I gritted my teeth and remained silent. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that I was freezing to death.

He turned away from me then and went to a small table in the corner and sat down. He shuffled through papers as he continued to talk to me. All I heard was blah, blah, blah.

"Alice..." he sang. He looked up when I still didn't answer him and then suddenly he was out of his chair and in front of me. He squatted in front of my chair, both hands on my shoulders. "Are you ignoring me, beautiful?"

"You know when you play hard to get it just makes me like you more!" he leaned in a kissed my cheek and I jerked my head back before spitting on him.

His face darkened with anger as he wiped my spittle off his face and then he backhanded me and I felt my bottom lip split open from the impact.

"My family WILL come for me and when they see what you've done you'll be sorry!" I shouted.

James just laughed and walked away, returning to his seat at the desk.

Despite my situation, my curiosity was getting the better of me and I was dying to see what was on the papers he kept pouring over.

I sucked my bleeding lip into my mouth and grimaced as the coppery taste of blood hit my tongue. Ugh.

The way James was staring at that desk you think it would've been porn. He'd come onto me in London...maybe I could use it to my advantage. I narrowed my eyes in determination. It was degrading but it had to be done.

"James." I said softly.

He grunted in my direction. I tried again and this time he turned to look at me. I could tell he was annoyed that I was interrupting so I silently asked Jasper to forgive and put on my best seductive smile.

"I'm feeling a little cold...do you think you could do something to warm me?"

I felt sick but the annoyed confusion on his face turned into a leer at my half-assed attempt at flirting. I internally snorted to myself marveling at how easily his attention was diverted.

He slithered over to me and put both hands on my legs, rubbing them slowly up and down brushing the edge of my skirt.

I leaned forward so he could easily see down my shirt and I smirked. His eyes widened as his gaze traveled lower, his fingers digging into my thighs.

I heard his breathing speed up and I knew I had him. Internally I was jumping up and down but I kept my face calm.

I motioned with my head for him to move closer and as he did I swallowed back the chunks rising in my throat and kissed the corner of his mouth.

It seemed that was all the green light he needed because he suddenly attacked my mouth; apparently a split lip didn't bother him. His breath was disgusting but I knew that I had to get untied if I had a prayer in hell of getting out of here.

I pulled my head back to speak and he moved his attention across my jaw and down my neck.

"James..." I cooed. "Baby I really want to touch you but I'm a little tied up right now..." I trailed off and that moron seemed to forget what we were doing here because he scrambled around behind me and quickly freed my hands.

I sighed in relief and brought my hands up in front of me, rubbing one wrist and then the other.

James was eager to continue and started kissing the back of my neck. As I considered throwing my head back to crash into his and maybe knock him out I realized that being unconscious probably wasn't the best plan if I wanted to get out of here alive.

I decided to work on getting my legs unbound and was just using my newly freed hands to unbutton his shirt when the door squeaked open and both our gazes flew to the man in the doorway.

"What the fuck is this?!" the man shouted. "James you dumb fuck what are you doing?"

James scrambled to his feet and stood in front of the man like a little boy being scolded - legs spread apart, eyes down, hands behind his back bracing for a blow.

"Boss knew you wouldn't be able to handle it, so he sent me to clean up the mess. You're done."

The man didn't give him a chance to say anything; he pulled out a gun and fired at the ground behind James who screamed like a girl when the shot rang out.

"I won't miss next time." the man growled. He used both hands to forcefully push James back towards the wall and I winced as I heard his head met the concrete bricks with a thud. I looked to the wall and watched eyes wide as James slumped to the floor.

The man stalked over to me and quickly re-bound my hands together and then my feet. I could feel tears well up in my eyes. I'd lost my only shot to get free.

"Don't worry, he's not dead. He's just taking a little nap." he said, chuckling darkly.

"As for you - it's lights out for now."

The last thing I remember was the butt of his gun swinging through the air - I felt it connect with my temple and then there was nothing.

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_A/N: Reviews are love and lovers get teased for Chapter 9! ;)_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: SM owns, I just play here.**

_Thanks to philadelphic for her encouragement! Playing with POV again in this chapter, hopefully its not disjointed. _

_I've got the next chapter mostly written so look for that in a day or so.  
_

_Enjoy!  
_

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For half of the first hundred and three miles of their drive, Bella slept.

He listened to her soft breathing, and occasional snoring. It was only after they were just over halfway to Gresham that she started mumbling in her sleep.

At first it was just nonsensical mumbling, harmless.

"Get the bagels..."

"NO, you're shirty!"

He snorted at that one and then chuckled despite himself. Bella's sleep talking had been at one time something he lived for and had often been highly amusing.

"Edward." she sighed.

He tensed.

"Half of me is yours." she muttered.

Edward inhaled sharply and contemplated waking her up but the car hit a bump in the road and Bella startled awake.

"Whazzat?"

He laughed nervously but kept his eyes on the road.

"We hit a pothole."

"How long have I been asleep? asked Bella. She rubbed her face to try to clear the foggy feeling and fixed her ponytail before settling back against the seat.

Edward cleared his throat and spoke.

"Uh a little over two hours. We've still got some driving to do before we get there."

Bella heard a buzzing noise and looked at him.

"What is that?" she asked.

Edward didn't answer as the buzzing sounded again. Bella's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she searched the glove box and dash for the source of whatever was making the noise. She looked down and noticed Edward's phone in the cup holder was the culprit. The vibration of the phone had caused rattling against some change in the bottom of the plastic lining.

"Aren't you going to answer that?"

He shook his head. Before he could stop her Bella grabbed the phone and flipped it open. Her eyes widened when she saw alerts for 12 voice mails from the Cullen's number in Forks and 10 texts from Jasper.

"Edward wha-" she began but he hastily grabbed the phone and shoved it into his pocket.

"It's nothing." he said.

"Edward."

She was met with silence from the driver's seat.

"Edward you need to call them and let them know we're alright."

Still nothing.

Bella huffed in annoyance.

"Edward Anthony." she said, one eyebrow arched in a dare to defy her.

"They are probably going out of their minds wondering why we're both gone! They probably think we were kidnapped too!"

Edward again was quiet. Everyone would be thinking that except for Carlisle. Surely his dad would know him well enough to know that bringing Alice back was something he had to do. Edward also knew that while his father probably would figure it out, Carlisle would also send the calvary out after them. Edward wasn't worried but he knew Bella would be.

"I already called." he lied.

Bella all too trusting visibly relaxed in relief and watched the cars pass for a minute in the awkward silence before trying to make small talk.

"So what've you been up to for the last three years?"

Edward squinted out the windshield.

"I've been in school Bella." he said shortly.

"I know that." she snapped. Bella sighed and rubbed her forehead. She propped her elbow up on the car door and cradled her chin in her hand.

"I was just trying to know you." she said quietly to the window. The scenery rolled by for a few minutes before he responded.

"There's not much to know." said Edward. "I'm pre-med so that takes up all my time."

Bella bit her lip and contemplated her next question. It was really none of her business but she didn't feel like she could stand to not know one more second.

"You're almost done with school. You don't have friends? No people you spend time with?"

The real question she was asking hung in the air between them, thick and heavy like dense fog. By people she had meant girlfriends.

"No." he said, pausing. "No one."

The strained silence between them eased when he answered and she let herself be relieved that he'd been alone as she had. She waited for him to ask something about her but minutes passed and he was quiet. She turned her head to look at him and found that his hands were clenching the steering wheel.

"That must be lonely." she said.

Edward shrugged.

"I went to school abroad to become a doctor not to socialize."

Bella frowned. Edward had been a bit of a loner in school but had never been alone. He'd always had friends and groups of girls fawning over him. She couldn't imagine him just sitting in a dorm room with no friends.

"Well things in Forks have pretty much stayed the same, so your not missing much!" said Bella. "I tried to be a waitress for awhile at the diner, but it didn't work out."

Edward snorted at the image of Bella dumping a plate of food into customers laps and breaking things in the kitchen. Bella as a waitress was like saying Edward sparkled in the sun. Utterly absurd and laughable.

"I went to the community college for awhile but when Charlie got hurt I had to come home."

Charlie had been hurt badly in the line of duty the year before and had been out of commission for several months - Bella had finally decided it wasn't worth the commute home every weekend and had dropped out.

"I was sorry to hear about Charlie." said Edward. "He's doing well now though, right?"

Bella nodded.

"Completely healed although he still feels pain sometimes when its rainy."

Edward nodded.

Silence again.

"Edward.." Bella began.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and waited for her to speak. His gut twisted with nerves, this whole mess was one big nightmare and this extremely awkward conversation was just the icing on the cake.

"I need you to know what happened that night."

Edward shut down immediately and his expression became closed off to her.

"No." he hissed. "It's not my job to make you feel better about yourself."

"I have nothing to feel better about! Nothing happened!" she persisted.

"I don't want to talk about this." he growled.

"We have to talk about it Edward!" Bella said back, just as fiercely.

"No!" he roared, his came down on the steering wheel forcefully several times.

She jumped and shrunk back in her seat.

Edward had a temper and he was famous all over Forks for acting out that temper, but he'd never been violent towards her and this reaction scared Bella. She was quiet and stared at him with wide eyes.

His teeth where clenched together, the muscle in his jaw was flexing wildly and one hand was fisted in his hair. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye after a moment and let out a deep breath.

"Bella." he said in barely a whisper. "I just can't do this now."

She didn't know what else to do but nod.

"We're almost there." he said quietly. "A little over an hour left now. I'm sure you're still tired, why don't you try to sleep a little more? I'll wake you when we're there."

Bella snorted, and turned her face back to the window.

* * *

_"Stop playing radio commando Alice or I swear to god I will tie you to the hood of this car!" shouted Edward as he smacked the delicate hand that reached up to turn the dial on the radio._

_"It's not my fault that you don't know good music Edward." Alice said, huffing as she flopped back into her seat._

_Bella and Jasper laughed at this, Edward not knowing music was like telling Alice she didn't know how to dress herself._

_"We're almost there and then you can do whatever you want Alice Cullen but till then I am in control." said Edward._

_"You have huge control issues big brother - you're going to be a lonely old man if you don't let go a little." sang Alice. She teased her brother while making herself comfortable against Jasper's side. Bella eyed the exchange in her visor mirror and raised an eyebrow to Jasper. He rolled his eyes and she giggled to herself as she saw a slight blush color his face._

_Alice was completely blind to this exchange, just as she was to Jasper's feelings. Bella was determined to help her friend get the girl and she was silent as a plan formed in her mind. She grinned at Jasper devilishly after a minute and closed her visor on his confused expression._

_"Let's play a game." said Bella. Edward and Jasper eyed her nervously while Alice practically vibrated in the back and her bright blue eyes shined with excitement._

_"Let's see how many out of state license plates we can spot. Nobody can count the same state twice!"_

_The game passed the time peacefully - aside from the fierce competition between Edward and Alice - and soon they arrived at Fun Forest._

_Fun Forest was an amusement park in Seattle and it had been Alice's idea to get away from Forks and make the three hour drive for bumper cars and funnel cakes._

_They entered the park and immediately were dragged by Alice to the bumper cars where everyone emerged rubbing the backs of their necks but little Alice. She rammed the hell out of them every change she got with her bright yellow car._

_A few other rides and fair food later, Alice's sugar high was crashing and she leaned against Jasper for support. Jasper had never looked happier, Bella noted._

_It was getting dark and cooler. Bella was about to suggest it was time to get head home but before she could suggest it, Edward pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head._

_"What about that one?" he said, nodding at the Ferris wheel. She shook her head vehemently._

_"Are you crazy?" she exclaimed._

_Edward's green eyes flashed with amusement as he rubbed slow circles on the small of her back with his hands._

_"Come on, it'll be fun." he whispered, taunting her._

_"I'm not going on it and you can't make me! I'll end up falling out head first!" said Bella._

_Edward grinned at her and kissed her temple._

_"You're going." he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the line._

_"What about Alice and Jasper?" Bella said, trying to stall._

_Edward nodded towards the bleachers off to the side and Bella saw that Alice was snuggled up on Jasper's lap sound asleep with her head on his shoulder. Bella was momentarily distracted as she smiled at her friends and before she knew it she was sitting in the bucket seat of the Ferris wheel._

_Bella shot Edward a dirty look as the attendant shut the little door on the side of their seats. As the ride jerked into motion she shrieked and grabbed at Edward's shirt. He laughed and pulled her close._

_They were at the top before she relaxed and he bent down and kissed her neck below her ear. "It's not so bad, right?" he breathed._

_She shivered slightly at the feeling of his lips brushing her ear and turned her head towards him. "No..but if I die it's all your fault."_

_Edward chuckled and ran his nose along her jaw line before planting small kisses there. "I'll protect you."_

_His mouth found hers then and they kissed as the ride made another turn on its spindle. As it made its way to the top again he pulled away and whispered in her ear._

_"Was that an earthquake or did you just rock my world?"_

_She snorted and slapped him lightly on the arm._

_They both chuckled and he made another circuit of playful kisses down her neck and collar bone before moving back up to her mouth. His hand rested on her crossed legs and he stroked her thigh with his thumb lightly as they kissed before he pulled away and whispered to her again._

One half of me is yours, the other half yours-

Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,

And so all yours!

_Bella's breath caught and she pulled back to look at his face. Edward's eyes were intense on hers as he moved a hand up to cup her cheek._

_"I didn't want to use something from Romeo and Juliet because it's cliche and I wanted the first time I tell you this to be original."_

_She waited and he put her forehead to hers, closing his eyes._

_"I love you."_

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EPOV

The sky was starting to turn pink with the oncoming sunrise as we pulled up in front of the address I'd been given. I gaped at the building. I swallowed the lump of fear for my sister in my throat and grabbed the envelope of ransom money before putting the car in park before turning to Bella.

"Bella."

She turned from the window and looked at me with wide eyes. The building they were parked in front of was crumbling, all the windows were broken and every side of the building was covered with some form of thick ropey vegetation that covered its sides.

"Bella I need to you stay in the car." I said sternly. I saw determination flare in her eyes and I groaned internally. Before she could start in on her rant, I held up a hand to silence her.

"I'm not asking. You ambushed my car and didn't give me a choice on whether to bring you along or not but I'll be damned if I let you go in and get yourself hurt. You will stay in the car."

She gritted her teeth and slammed her hand against the dash. "I'm not staying! My friend is in there and she is counting on both of us. There is no way she's alone and you can't handle this by yourself. Let me help you!"

I shook my head at her and laughed humorlessly. "Dammit Bella - you are going to stay in the car!" I hissed. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at me defiantly. I raised an eyebrow at her, she wasn't going to intimidate me with her kittenish anger.

"You will stay here and that's final. Alice may be hurt and I need to you be here ready to help her when I bring her out. Even if she's not hurt then you need to be ready to drive as soon as we come out so we can make a quick getaway."

I could see the wheels turning in her head and she bit her lip before nodding shortly. I rolled my eyes and thanked God that she'd finally seen reason.

I left her in the car then and grabbing a flashlight just in case, I walked slowly to the building.

As I approached the door I noticed it was ajar. I pushed lightly on it and the door swung open and groaned on its hinges. I grimaced at the noise. I hadn't wanted to announce my presence that way but it didn't seem to have caused kidnappers to fly at me from all corners so after a moment I relaxed.

I walked further into the building and saw that I would indeed need the flashlight as most of the building was in shadow. I noticed that while it had different floors I could pretty much see straight to the ceiling. It had steel walkways criss-crossing in the air and a huge wheel against one wall. I had no idea what this building had been used for but it was rapidly falling apart.

As I took in my surroundings and swung the flashlight around I noticed one thing, I appeared to be completely alone. It didn't look like there were rooms to hide in and I could feel my anger and disappointment rush through me. This is where Alice was supposedly being held, but it was clear there was nobody in here but me.

Defeated I turned for the door and started to leave but a table in the corner of the room was different than the rest of the place. Everything was covered in dirt and spider webs aside from that table.

My curiosity drew me to it and I tried to consume all the information on the pages as fast as I could when I creak from behind me caught my attention. I froze and turned my head slightly to the right and saw a shadow fly across the wall and behind a huge stack of rolls of what looked like some kind of fabric.

"Hello?" I called softly.

I grabbed a bunch of the papers and folded them up before sticking them in my back pocket. I walked over to the tower of fabric and slowly looked it to find nothing.

I heard shuffling suddenly on the other side of the room and my head jerked to find the source. From my new position in the room I could see that I was in fact not alone. There was a body slumped on the floor.

Before I could make another move I heard another scuffling and then a squeak as I saw Bella trip over the body. The area she was standing in was heavily shadowed and I could barely make her out but I'd know her in a pitch black room, I was certain of it. I swore under my breath, Bella infuriated me with her stubbornness.

Light crept into the building as the sun rose, making it easier to see. Still dim in area she had stumbled in, Bella rose into a crouch and she met my eyes with her own. I gave her scowl and motioned for her to go back to the car. She glared at me and rapidly shook her head.

It was then that she noticed what she had tripped over was a body.

She slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her scream and I saw her reach a shaking hand towards the body to - I assume - check it's pulse and I whisper shouted at her.

"Bella, don't!"

My warning came too late and she already had her hand on the strangers neck and the touch caused the body on the floor to jerk. She fell backwards in surprise as the body suddenly came up off the floor and wrapped it's hands around her neck.

"No!" I shouted and started to run to her only be stalled by the remains of tables and work equipment. I watched helplessly as the man who'd been lying on the floor strangled my Bella.

"Let her go you son of a bitch!" I screamed.

Adrenaline pumped through me as I finally was able to get across the room and I could hear him angrily whispering things to her as he shook her. Bella slapped at his arms and choked my name and the word help before I was able to wrench him off of her. In our struggle Bella was thrown against the wall. James was dragging me backwards and as I saw her head hit the brick I prayed that she was ok.

"Bella!!" I shouted.

Once we were out of the shadows I could clearly see that this blood covered man was James Volturi and I was murderous at the vision before me. Not only had he kidnapped my sister but he'd hurt Bella. I elbowed him in the stomach and turned, cocking my arm back and hurling my fist forward. It connected with his chin and his head snapped back with a crunch.

James lunged at me screaming with rage and grabbed me in a headlock. His fist plowed into my stomach and I felt the wind knocked out of me. Trying to catch my breath, I stepped on his foot as hard as I could and he let go of me, howling in pain. He moved as if he was going to try to run then but I tackled him to the ground and punched him again.

"Where is my sister!?" I screamed in his face, holding him up by his collar with both hands.

He barked a laugh, blood trickling out of the gash on his lip. I noticed then that my hands were wet where they were gripping his shirt. He had a large open wound on the side of his head that was seeping blood down onto his shirt. That explained the blood around him, head wounds were notorious for bleeding a lot.

I shook him again and he sneered at me. I felt a sudden blow to the side of my head and I fell back to the floor. Holding my head with one hand, I realized that he'd picked up a brick and hit me with it. My head was spinning but I knew I had to get back up.

I stumbled to my feet and grabbed a overturned chair and hit him in the stomach with it. He doubled over and stumbled into me knocking me down. I pushed him off of me but before I could get back up he kicked me in the face and I blacked out.

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I was thrust into consciousness by the harsh bright light of the sun in my face. My head was throbbing and I felt something sticky on the side of my face. I tried to get up but quickly sunk back down when the room started spinning.

I tried to get my bearings and thoughts tumbled through my head. Alice. Where was Alice? She wasn't here, that much was obvious. I slowly turned my head and took in the room around me. It appeared that James had gotten away. I groaned before it hit me.

Bella.

Where was Bella?!

In a panic I raised my head too quickly and I felt the contents of my stomach threaten to spill. I leaned against a bench and tried to regain control of my body. I slowly pulled myself into a sitting position and raised my head to scan the room.

I spotted her in a heap in the corner. My stomach twisted in fear, she was so so still. From this distance I couldn't even tell if she was breathing. Please God let her be all right. I didn't know if we'd ever be able to put the past behind us but I knew that I couldn't live in a world where this woman did not exist.

Wincing I picked myself up off the bench and tested the use of my limbs. I was sore but nothing unmanageable. A quick assessment of my body told me that the pain was mostly coming from the blow to the head and I probably had a concussion. Nothing seemed to be broken and I sighed in momentary relief.

I rushed across the room then and dropped to my knees beside Bella. My entire body relaxed with relief when I placed my hand on her back and felt the slow rise and fall of her breath. She was alive.

I gently inspected her head where I thought she'd hit the wall, but there didn't appear to be any wounds just a good bump on the side of her face and lots of bruising. I shaped my hand to her face and stroked her cheek softly.

"Bella." I whispered.

She stirred slightly, and I used both hands down to stroke her face. "Bella are you ok?"

She groaned loudly and opened her eyes, immediately closing them again as the strong sun glared down on us.

"What happened?" she whispered, her voice sounding rough from her swollen throat.

"James attacked you." I said, helping her up. She groaned again and stumbled.

"Alice?" she whispered.

I shook my head. "She wasn't here."

I half carried, half dragged her outside to the car and gently sat her in the passenger seat.

There was no talking as we pulled away. I knew we needed to take care of our injuries and knew there was a first aid kit I kept in the trunk for emergencies but right now it was time to get away - it was quite possible that James was still lurking around the mill and I needed to get Bella to safety.

After driving for awhile she spoke.

"I'm tired Edward." she sighed.

I nodded and after awhile I found a motel with a vacancy sign and decided we would stop there.

I helped Bella into the motel office and she leaned heavily against me while I rang the dirty silver bell on the counter.

After a moment a small man came out of the back. He looked like a ferret with a long face and beady eyes. He had a long wiry beard that hung off his chin and looked like he was in desperate need of a shower.

I asked for a adjoining rooms and he grinned at me. I noticed he was missing some teeth and my stomach turned as I saw the few teeth he did have were rotten.

"Just got one room left." he said gleefully. He eyed Bella and I pulled her closer to my side.

I stared incredulously at the man behind the counter of the motor lodge and gritted my teeth.

"What do you mean you only have one room?!" I asked tensely.

The weasel little man shrugged unsympathetically and grinned. "One room left. One bed."

"It's fine, Edward." Bella said quietly.

I tensed for a moment, sighed and looked at Bella out of the corner of one eye before closing both and taking a deep breath. I exhaled and held out a hand for the key to the room. "Fine."

The walk to the room seemed to me almost as if it was in slow motion. If someone had told me two days ago that I'd be taking Bella Swan into a seedy motel room with one bed I would've laughed until I cried.

I opened the door and they both stood in the doorway - Bella looking at the room, me looking at her.

After moment I huffed and tapped my fingers against the door.

"In or out, Swan?" I asked gruffly. Bella jumped at the harshness of my voice and scooted into the room. I felt bad for being rude to her, especially after all we'd just been through, but we were entering uncharted territory. I ran back out to the car and grabbed the bag I'd packed and the first aid kit. Quickly returning to the room, I set the items down and closed the door, locking it behind me.

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**A/N: Reviews are like declarations of love from Edward - review and I'll show you love by way of a teaser for chapter 10!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **

**Things I Own: The weasley looking motel clerk, Sullenward and Determinella.**

**Things I Do Not Own: The name, character or ideals of Edward Cullen, Bella Swan, et al - Stephanie owns, I just emotionally gut them and occasionally make them do dirty things!**

_Thanks once again to philadelphic. This chapter is what earns the story it's M rating. It is my first lemon, be kind._

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BPOV

Without a word I immediately went walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I pulled my dirty, torn shirt over my head before tossing it on the floor, hissing when the fabric rubbed over my injuries. I braced both hands on the sink and took inventory of my body.

There were bruises forming around my collarbone area, and turning to look at my back I could see some deep cuts on my right shoulder. Bruises dotted my arms and circled one wrist. That seemed to be about the worst of it. I sighed wearily.

I rinsed my mouth with the little sample bottle of mouthwash on the sink. It was not a good brushing but it would have to do.

Luckily for me Edward kept a small first aid kit in his trunk and brought it in along with the bag he'd packed. The scratches on my shoulder were turning bright red around the edges and I knew they needed to be cleaned before I put my t-shirt on.

I closed my eyes in frustration. I'd been taking care of myself for years but I knew that I wouldn't be able to reach my shoulder blade with the antiseptic, and that the kit was in the other room with Edward.

I grabbed a towel, wrapping it around me and tucking in the little flap I'd made. When I was sure it was secure, I opened the door a crack. I poked my head out and could see that he was sitting in the chair in the corner - his eyes were closed and as I watched the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest I figured he must have fallen asleep.

I took this moment just to look at him. His time away at school had changed him. He was still beautiful as he'd always been but his face had a definition now that it had lacked before. Edward looked incredibly tired.

My eyes roamed his still form as I took inventory of his injuries. His clothes were dirty and rumpled but the actual battle damage seemed to be centralized to his face. He had a welt on the left side of his face and there were several scrapes, as well as a thick coating of dried blood that had made its way to his shirt and neck.

My gaze traveled down his arms and I could see that his knuckles were bloody on one hand. My eyes narrowed and I cocked my head to one side in contemplation. If he had a head injury he might have a concussion and in that case he really shouldn't be sleeping.

"Edward?" I called quietly.

I crept out of the bathroom silently and over to his chair, nudging his leg with my knee. His eyes flew open and he sat straight up, hands gripping the arms of the chair.

"What? What's wrong?!" he practically shouted. I cringed and stepped back.

"Nothing is wrong!" I said loudly. He calmed instantly, but tensed when noticed my state of dress.

"I have cuts on my shoulder and I need you to help me." I explained quietly. I nodded to him and pointed to my temple in reference to the blood the covered that area of his face. "You should probably get cleaned up too."

His jaw flexed for a moment while he stared at me before getting up and grabbing the first aid kit from his bag. He motioned towards the bathroom and followed behind me as I made my way into the tiny room.

He got the supplies ready to clean my wounds while I let the sink fill up with hot water and put a wash cloth in to soak. I couldn't help but remember all the times he'd done exactly this - fix me up after I'd clumsily fallen or bumped into something. We could help each other this time. I had a small smile on my face and he noticed this in the mirror.

"What?" he asked as he used a cotton swab to wipe the antiseptic over the first scrape. I hissed at the burning sensation and then smiled when our eyes connected in the mirror.

"I was just thinking about all the times you've done this for me."

He, too, gave a small smile and continued to clean the cuts. I was lost in the memories of better times for a moment before I saw him once again tense and a hard look came over his face.

"Who did it for you while I was gone?" he asked. It wasn't hard to guess who he was thinking of and I knew that his question went a lot deeper than who had been tending to my clumsy ways in his absence.

"I told you it was never like that." I said in a whisper, wrapping my arms around myself defensively.

Edward huffed behind me he finished and applied a bandage over the scraped flesh. He threw the cotton swabs in the small trash can beside the toilet and went to grab the wash cloth from the sink but I put my hand on his arm to stop him. I tightened my grip and shook my head.

"Let me." I said softly. He said nothing as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor before turning the injured side of his face to me. I grabbed the wash cloth and wrung it out before gently wiped the blood away, rinsing the cloth in the sink when needed until his face was clean. As I rinsed the wash cloth he turned to walk from the room. I threw the wash cloth down and it hit the counter with a wet smack. I clutched my towel and quickly grabbed his arm and he turned back to me, glaring.

"What about your hand?" I asked. He looked at his hand and flexed it, wincing with pain when the skin around the edges of the wounds pulled. I grabbed his uninjured hand and pulled him closer to me. I pulled his hand down under the faucet and the warm water run over his raw knuckles. I gently rubbed them with the wash cloth and then dried his hand on a hand towel from the stack on the back of the toilet.

As I was applying the antiseptic, I could feel his eyes on me. I looked up and met his gaze. Unconsciously I licked my bottom lip and I watched as his eyes followed the movement.

"I thought blood made you sick." he questioned quietly after a tense moment of silence.

I turned away from him as I shrugged and wrapped gauze around his hand. I disposed of the cotton swab then turned back to face him.

"It's gotten better as I've gotten older." I replied.

He nodded once and then turned to leave the small room. I followed behind him, turning off the bathroom light as we left.

"Edward." I said.

He was facing away from me but I could see his back tense up as I spoke his name. He didn't turn to face me.

"It wasn't what you thought." I insisted. "You never even asked. You just left."

He spun around then, his fists clenched at his sides.

"I'm not blind Bella - I didn't think there were any questions necessary. I walked into your room and you were sitting on his lap half naked!" he hissed. "It was pretty fucking clear."

"It wasn't what it looked like Edward and you would've known that if you would've given either of us a chance to explain!" I said. I was trying to keep my voice down but after what we'd been through today I needed him to hear me. Even if he didn't believe me, I would know for the rest of my life that I had tried to explain what really happened and let that be enough to give myself closure.

"I saw all I need to see when I pushed open that door and saw you on top of him!" he said harshly.

"Ask me what really happened!" I said, begging.

He didn't speak. He stood glaring at me, furious. I clutched my towel tighter around me and sat down on the bed.

"Jasper says it was love at first sight with Alice, did she ever mention that? They both say it was just something they felt the moment they saw each other. After we started spending time together as a group Jasper decided that he had to do something about his feelings - he came to me and asked for help - he knew how close Alice and I had gotten." Edward didn't move a muscle and remained silent, so I continued.

"We started meeting in a diner in Port Angeles to plan a way for him to win Alice over. The night you left we planned to meet at nine. We both were running late and I waited at the diner but he never showed. I waited until the diner was closing and then left.." I trailed off as he turned slightly towards me. I was hopeful to get a reaction from him but he didn't look in my direction. His face remained locked in a steely gaze at a painting on the wall.

"While I was at the diner there was a group of guys sitting in the back and they followed me when I was walking out the truck. They cornered me in an alley and if it hadn't been for Jasper pulling up right then I don't know what would've happened."

At the profession of the mess in Port Angeles that night his head swiveled toward me, searching my face as if to convince himself I was telling the truth and that it had all been a misunderstanding.

"He brought me home and I thanked him and told him to leave - I went to clean myself up and change - the outfit that I was wearing was supposed to be a surprise for you." I said, quietly.

I bit my lip as I watched him process what I'd told him and I felt my stomach churn with anxiety. Surely after all this time, when Edward finally has all the facts he'd finally believe that there was never anything between Jasper and I. Right?

"When I came back in the room Jasper was still there and I was furious. I yelled at him and told him to leave and I went to pull him off my bed but I tripped over some stuff on the floor and that's when you came in."

He moved towards me after a moment and I watched his face, willing him to believe the truth. He grabbed me and pulled me up off the bed, his hands gripping my shoulders.

"Edward - there's never been anyone but you."

EPOV

My heart was racing a mile a minute and I felt sick to my stomach. I shook her lightly and growled.

"How do I know that's the truth?!" I asked.

I wanted so badly to believe that this was the truth. I knew Bella was clumsy, she tripped over her own feet more often than anything else but dammit, I saw her on top of him dressed in next to nothing.

"You _know." _she whispered and put her hand on my chest over my heart. I could feel our electricity surging between us at the her touch and I tried desperately to ignore it so I could think with a clear head.

I swallowed heavily as I searched her face - what for, I didn't know. Without my permission, my hands moved up from her shoulders to her neck and softly brushed the bruises before moving up to cup her face in my hands.

Her little body was radiating heat and I had this urge to wrap my arms around her and warm myself - I'd been cold for so long. I did just that and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her tight to me. One hand moved up her back and underneath her hair to her neck while the other rubbed small circles on her back.

My forehead dropped to her shoulder and I inhaled deeply - even after everything we'd been through today she still smelled like strawberries.

"I'm so sorry Bella." I whispered into her ear.

I pulled back to see her face and she was gazing back at me intensely. I wasn't sure I was telling her sorry for. Doubting her? Not being the one to save her Port Angeles? Or was it not being able to protect her from James? I'd tried but the words had spilled out before I could censor the thought.

The idea that everything I'd believed for the last three years to be true was a lie was fucking with my head. If I believed her that meant that I hadn't been there for her when she really needed me. I didn't want to deal with anymore guilt than I was already feeling. I hadn't been able to protect her from James today and she was bruised and torn.

Did I believe her? I didn't know. I wanted to believe her so badly. The jury was still out but I could pretend I did. Just for now. I could shut the world out and it could just be her and me again like it had been before everything came tumbling down on me.

She started to speak but I didn't want to hear it - I just wanted to feel her next to me right now and know that she was real - not just a memory that I tried to keep locked away. Before she could get a word out I lowered my head and covered her mouth with mine.

She stiffened in surprise but after a moment I felt her entire body relax into me.

I took her mouth roughly then and darted my tongue out to brush against her bottom lip. She sighed into my mouth as her lips parted. Every glide of my tongue against hers pushed me further into this spinning I was feeling through my body. I was desperate for more of her.

My fingers on her neck moved up to curl into her hair and I tightened my hand gently into a fist to pull her head back. I moved my kisses slowly from her lips to the corner of her mouth, lingering there before moving to her jawline. I heard her ask me what we were doing but I pressed another kiss into the sensitive area underneath and the question died on her lips. I flicked my tongue out to lick the spot I'd kissed and she whimpered.

Making a trail of kisses along her jaw and down her neck, I'd now come to her collar bone where the bruises were. I paused there and pushed back guilt as it washed through me while I returned my attention to her mouth.

Bella's small hand bunched the fabric of my shirt when she made a fist around it, our lips meeting again and again. I guided her backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed and then laid her down. Moving to lay beside her, I shaped my hand to her face and tilted it back up to mine. My free hand traced lightly down her neck to her shoulders and then to the towel that was covering her from me. Without breaking the kiss I pulled it away and threw it to the floor.

Through the haze of lust clouding my brain I remembered the scratches on her back as she put a slight pressure on my chest and I rolled onto my side and pulled her up so she wouldn't be hurt.

I focused my attention on the side of her neck I'd neglected as I moved my hand down to her waist, my fingers digging into her hip and pulling her flush against my body. I knew she would feel my arousal and a surge of electricity hit me as we were finally completely molded to each other, head to toe.

I moved to my back and pulled her on top of me returning to her mouth as I fumbled impatiently with the clasp on her bra. I wanted to feel her against me and this scrap of cotton was keeping me from what I wanted.

Her legs fell on either side of mine and I pushed us slowly into a sitting position and gasped as she straddled me - the feeling that was caused by the friction of her heat rubbing against my erection was indescribable. Flames threatened to consume me as her hands slid from my shoulders over my neck and into my hair. She tightened her hands into fists and tugged as our kisses grew frantic, surges of current crashing between our bodies with every stroke of my tongue against hers.

The bra was finally undone and joined the towel on the floor. She was bared to me and I groaned as I felt her soft skin press against my own. I laid us back down and slid my hands down her back to cup her ass and pull her against me. I needed her to feel the effect she was having on me, to know how badly I wanted her.

I rolled her onto her side, one hand in her hair cradling her head and my other hand curved around her breast. I shuddered at the feeling of her underneath my hand. It had been so long since I'd touched her, I'd willed myself to forget the feeling of her body against mine believing I'd never touch her again. I traced my thumb over the sensitive skin and gently ran my thumb across her nipple before lowering my head to take it between my lips.

She moaned softly as I lightly touched my tongue to her, grinding her hips into mine. I drew in a shaky breath and pressed my lips against the valley between her breasts before moving to attend to the other.

I could feel Bella trembling beneath me and I moved south leaving wet open mouthed kisses down her belly and stopping at the waistband her panties. I hooked my fingers into the waistband, slowly moving them back and forth while gazing up at her asking her silently for permission to pull them off.

She nodded and I pulled the material down off of her and then moved to rest my forehead against her soft belly. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly against her. She sighed my name and I closed my eyes.

"I want to taste you." I whispered against her skin, holding my breath waiting for her answer. This was something we'd never done and when she said please softly I exhaled to slow my excitement - I wanted it to be good for her.

I kissed the space where my head had been resting before lowering my head to her. I pressed soft kisses along her thigh up to her pussy and inhaled deeply, wanting to remember the smell of her want for me.

I gently nudged her thighs apart and settled myself between them. I was awed by the sight of her, slick with arousal. I propped myself up on my elbows and lowered my mouth to her. I lightly touched my tongue to her and slowly slid my tongue from her slick entrance to her clit. I moaned at the taste of her as she bucked beneath me.

I pushed reached up and put my arm underneath her body, lifting her to me and her hands threaded themselves through my hair, fisting when my lips closed around her clit. I sucked it gently into my mouth and flicked it with my tongue, wringing soft cries from her. The need to be inside her was quickly taking over my desire for her taste and I slid a finger inside her entrance as I thrust my against tongue against her.

She moaned loudly and I carefully added another finger testing her readiness for me. My fingers slid in easily and the feeling of her body clenching around my fingers caused my patience to snap - I needed her now. I moved my hands to her waist before moving up her body to reclaim her mouth.

I kissed her deeply before speaking against her lips. "I need you."

She nodded and I pulled away, quickly ridding myself of my jeans and boxers. I returned to the bed and lowered myself over her. I peppered her stomach with kisses, making a trail up her belly, between her breasts and up to the hollow of her throat. I grazed her there with my tongue and she breathed my name against my lips as I kissed her mouth. Finally I aligned myself with her, the head of my cock became wet as I slid it against her. Our eyes met and held as pushed into her slowly, her body pulling me in.

She was incredibly tight and my eyes rolled back into my head at the feel of being inside of her. I felt her tense as I filled her completely and felt her body cringe at my invasion.

I stilled and I moved my hand to cup her cheek and tried to get her to look at me.

"Bella?" I asked, concerned that this might not be what she wanted.

"I've never done this." she whispered, not meeting my eyes.

I swore a blue streak in my head and rested it against her neck. How was it possible that Bella was a virgin? Surely she'd had other relationships since ours ended? I felt guilt wrack my body as I realized that she was telling the truth about everything. My heart swelled with an ache that was indescribably painful. We'd lost so much time because I'd been a stubborn asshole. I pushed my wallowing aside and swallowed hard, my body trembling with the effort to keep still so I wouldn't hurt her.

"We can stop." I said quietly against her neck. I felt her hair brush my cheek as she shook her head in protest and pulled my face to hers. She touched her lips softly to mine, holding my face with both hands.

"Don't stop." she said, pleading. I was overwrought with the excess of emotions crashing over me in this moment and rested my forehead against hers, swallowing roughly before speaking.

"It's going to hurt." I said softly. She nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck pulling me to her. I licked my lips before pressing them to hers. I hoped to distract her as I pushed forward again and felt her barrier give way. She cried out softly against my mouth and I stilled again, clenching my teeth at the effort. I moved my hand between us, circling her clit to try and help her along and take her mind off the pain.

After a moment her body relaxed and she lifted her hips to me, causing a moan to wrench from my lips. I moved my hand down her hip and back up her soft body as I slowly withdrew and then pushed back into her. She again lifted her hips to me as I pushed into her and we kissed, moving faster against each other.

My breath caught in my throat as I felt her moving beneath me. I buried my face in her neck, placing wet kisses against her skin while I moved my hand down her body to pull her leg up and over my hip, pushing deeper into her.

I never thought that this would happen and I felt the last wall that I'd built up around my heart fall when she shivered in my arms and said my name softly in my ear. I'd been kidding myself to think that I could ever forget the love I had for this woman.

I felt a familiar coiling in my belly and knew I was close. I pushed into her with force, and my thumb returned to the little nub between her legs. I wanted us to come together. Her hands were in my hair as I crashed my mouth to hers. I felt her body tighten around me and her soft cries in my ear set off my own release. I buried my face in her neck with a shudder as she pulsed around me and I came with her name on my lips.

We laid that way, still connected as our breathing slowed. She was playing with the hair at the nape of my neck and I kissed her shoulder before rolling us over onto my back.

"Bella..I-" I began, but she cut me off with a shake of her head against my chest.

"Shh.." she murmured, not meeting my eyes. "I don't want to waste more time on things we can't change. We need to let go of what happened and start fresh."

When I remained silent she looked up hesitant at me, resting her chin on the hand on my chest.

"If that's something you want, of course." she said, chewing on her lip nervously.

I brushed the hair out of her face and leaned up to kiss her mouth before pulling her tighter to me. I didn't ever want to leave this room.

"I'd like that." I said softly.

She laid her head down again and I buried my face in her hair, holding her tight.

My heart was a tangled mess of emotions. Being with Bella this way, or anyway at all for that matter, was something I'd locked away in a hidden part of myself long ago. When I walked into the room and saw her with Jasper on the bed my entire world had been destroyed. I hadn't been able to comprehend what I was seeing, I'd just known I needed to get out of there. I hadn't waited for my send off at the airport the next morning. I'd driven straight home and booked a six thirty am flight to London without a second thought.

I'd cowardly left a note for my parents explaining that I couldn't wait for the group send off the next day and had to go right then. I'd pleaded with them to understand, even though I knew my leaving would hurt my mother deeply. I'd left a second note for my father, explaining in short clipped sentences that something had happened and I needed to go before having to face the family. I didn't give them a chance to stop me, I'd left with my bags long before dawn and had spent the time until my flight sitting alone in the airport terminal.

Bella shifted in her sleep and sighed my name softly, rousing me from my walk down memory lane.

The agony I'd felt then was nothing compared to the thought that Bella had been killed by James. Seeing her lying in a heap in the mill today had brought things a little more clearly into perspective. Regardless of where the relationship between us stood, loving her was never the issue.

There had been many times I'd tried to convince myself that I was over it and able to move on but it always ended with me comparing the girl I was with to Bella. I'd never stopped loving her. I wished that she'd never existed but the truth was without Bella there was no me. It had been me who just existed until I'd met her. From the very first minute she'd entered my life I'd felt like a complete person and that there was a reason I was put on this earth - for her, to be with her.

I resolved myself then that I would make up the time we'd lost and we'd never be apart again after this whole thing was said and done. I couldn't imagine ever living without her.

I knew then what I had to do. I gently slipped out from under her so I wouldn't wake her and dressed. I went over to the desk and grabbed a piece of paper from the pad and began to write.

_Bella,_

_I have no words to tell you what last night meant to me. I was a fool for so long. Please believe me when I tell you that all of me is yours, I never stopped belonging to you._

_Love,_

_Edward_

I left the note on the pillow beside her and bent down and softly brushed my lips against hers before locking the door behind me.

BPOV

The sunlight filtered into the room through the ugly brown curtains and I squinted as I tried to determine what time it was. It took me a minute to realize where I was. A motel in Oregon. I wasn't sure if we're were still in Gresham but I knew we hadn't crossed into another state.

The night before flooded my consciousness suddenly and I felt a fiery blush sweep across my cheeks. I bit my lip to hide a nervous smile and slid my hand across the sheets expecting to find Edward next to me.

That side of the bed as cold and I felt nothing but cool cotton underneath my fingertips. My head snapped up and I looked around the room for him with no luck.

"Edward?" I called.

There was nothing but silence.

I sat up in bed and tucked the sheet around my naked torso and saw a piece of paper wrapped up in the sheet. I picked it up with shaking hands and felt my heart shred. It didn't really matter what the note said - he had left.

I was alone.

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**A/N: **

** Don't kill me! **

**Well? How did I do? Reviews get a teaser for Chapter 11!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:**

**Things I Own: A 2010 New Moon Calendar (Wall and the long 'locker' one which I will be taking to work :D)**

**Things I Do Not Own: SM's extremely talented imagination which includes Edward, Bella, Jasper, et all. You know the drill.**

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JPOV

The sound of arguing woke me up from a not so deep sleep. I'd tried to for hours to make sleep come but it just was not happening. My mind had been going a mile a minute wondering about Alice. Was she ok? Was she being hurt?

Unable to shut my brain off I'd resorted to a meditation technique I'd heard about where you imagine each breath relaxes each inch of your body, working from the tips of your toes up to the top of your head. I'd only gotten up to my knees when I'd heard the muffled voices outside.

Getting up I went to the window and peered out of the lace curtain's Alice had insisted on.

There is the driveways was the volvo and inside it where Edward and Bella involved in what looked like a very heated shouting match.

"Get out!" I heard Edward say and I saw her shake her head and knew there was no way he was getting out of here without her. I snickered for a moment and wondered where they were going at such a late hour - a quick glance at the clock told me it was after midnight.

It was then that I noticed Bella's bag - it looked like an extended trip.

"God dammit Bella. You can't go with me!"

My eyes widened as it clicked in my poor sleep deprived brain. He was running off to go rescue my girl! He didn't have any intention of getting me involved. I could feel anger boiling in my blood as I hurried around the room throwing my own bag of clothes together.

I heard the Volvo take off down the road as I flew quietly and quickly down the stairs and out the front door, locking it behind me.

There was no way in hell he was going off to play hero while I sit back and worry myself to death. I'd let him go off on his own once and that didn't work out so well - this time it was going to be done on my terms.

I jumped in the car and threw it into drive, backing out of the driveway quickly but keeping my headlights off so Edward wouldn't notice that I was following his sorry ass.

Two hours later it looked like Bella had fallen asleep and that stupid bastard still hadn't noticed me following him. I rubbed my bleary red eyes and cursed myself. Now that I was driving my body decided that it was tired. I could feel my eyes closing and then I'd jerk myself awake.

I turned on the radio and the air conditioning as high as they'd go in hopes that it would keep me awake but that must not've worked because after about the third hour I was jarred out of my drowsy state by a loud thump and the hissing sound I knew to be a flat tire.

I pulled over the side of the road swearing and hit my steering wheel. I watched the volvo as it drove out of my sight and I sighed heavily. I was worried I'd never catch up to them now. I knew how to get to the mill - when Edward had talked about it with Carlisle I'd memorized as much information as possible and then I'd looked up directions online. There was about an hour ride left til they got to Gresham and I hoped and prayed they'd find Alice there.

Grumbling to myself I walked around the car to get the spare and realized that there was none. Cursing I kicked the side of the car and pulled out my phone. I called AAA for a tow truck then settled against my car to wait.

After the tow truck had brought me a new tire and charged me an arm and a leg the sun had long since risen and I was getting into the car to be on my way when my cell started ringing.

Looking at the caller i.d I saw it was Carlisle. Nervous that something had happened to Esme I started to answer the phone and then stopped - maybe he was just really pissed that everyone left in the middle of the night with no note saying where we'd gone.

I sighed and answered the phone warily.

"Hell-" I started to say but was cut off by Emmett shouting obscenities at me.

"You God damn idiot! Where in God's name are the three of you?! Dad is worried sick - he got a package from someone named Riley with a note saying Edward fucked up and to bring some ungodly amount of money to Emmett fucking Idaho!!"

I snorted at the irony of the town's name. This Riley person must have a really fucked up sense of humor. I sobered as I realized our Emmett was still ranting.

"Emmett man, you've got to calm down." I tried to say soothingly.

It didn't work.

"Jasper I swear to God if you don't bring back my family in once piece I will kill you myself! I refuse to lose everyone because an old college buddy of Dad's can't keep his pen off his prescription pads!"

Our conversation ended with him telling me he already called Edward and read him the same riot act. Edward had agreed to meet me at the Black Bear Diner in Beaverton stating it was on the way to the city of Emmett.

A short 45 minutes later I pulled into the parking lot and saw Edward leaning against his volvo with his head down and his arms crossed over his chest. Bella was nowhere to be seen, I assumed she went inside.

I parked and got out of the car and walked to stand in front of my old friend.

"Edward." I said.

He nodded once at me, but didn't speak.

He pushed himself off the car and strode towards the entrance of the diner without a glance at me. I sighed - this was going to be a really fucking long one-sided conversation.

It was a seat yourself kinda place and I followed Edward to a seat the back. A waitress approched the table and I rolled my eyes as she drooled in Edward's direction. He stared down at the sugar packet he was playing with and didn't speak. Women fawning over Edward was not new to me.

"Can I get a coke please?" I sneered to the waitress who didn't even look in my direction.

"Sure hon - and for you?" she said in a sugary sweet voice.

Edward continued to play with the little pink packet and I slammed my hand rudely on the table to catch the waitresses attention.

She jumped slightly and glared at me. Her name tag read Jessica.

"He'll have a coke too." I said. Jessica huffed at me and turned on her heel, storming off towards the kitchen. I heard Edward snicker and I turned back to find he'd stopped playing with the sugar and was looking out the window.

"Where's Bella?" I asked.

The small smirk that had been on his lips quickly faded and his expression became shuttered as he looked at me.

"She didn't come." he said quietly.

My eyebrows drew inward in confusion. She didn't come? She hadn't been in the car, I'd seen that for myself.

"Bullshit. I watched the two of you ride off into the night together - I know she came with you. Where the hell is she?"

Edward swallowed roughly and looked out the window again.

"I mean she didn't come with me to the diner - she's back at the motel we stayed at last night."

I was confused. There is no way Bella would let Edward leave without her to meet me. What was going on here?

"What the hell is going on here Edward? There is no way Bella would just let you go off on your own."

"She doesn't know I'm here, I left before she woke up." he said.

I watched him for a second - playing with the sugar packets, the flatware on the table, hell he was even drumming his fingers on the freaking glass of Coke that the waitress had brought. It dawned on me then that something was different about Edward. Edward was never nervous or anxious about anything. The Edward I knew now only gave off anger. After a minute of watching this nervous behavior I exploded.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" I snarled at him.

He looked up at me with shock on his face.

"What do you mean what did I do to her? I didn't do anything, Jasper. You don't know what your talking about."

I scoffed.

"Bella would never let you leave her behind - she's like a fucking hawk where your concerned, man. Anytime you're in a room she's constantly got tabs on you - it's like your orbiting each other or some shit like that. I've never seen anything like it. You can't sit there and tell me that nothing happened. What did you do?" I asked again through clenched teeth.

Edward was quiet for a minute and then spoke so quietly I almost didn't hear him.

"We slept together."

There is no fucking way he just said what I think he said. Bella is smarter than that right? I groaned and put my head in my hands.

"Please dude tell me you did not just say what I think you said."

Edward looked away, his jaw muscle flexing as his teeth snapped together. "I'm not going to apologize to you." he said, quietly.

I let out a huge breath and squinted at him.

"So you fucked her. And then what? Just left her in the middle of the night?"

Edward's eyes flashed to mine and darkened with rage.

"It's not like that." he ground out.

"The hell it isn't!" I hissed. "She's wasted her whole damn life waiting for you and you use her this way! How dare you?!"

Edward stood then knocking his chair to the floor and grabbed me by my shirt lifting me out of my seat.

"It was fucking like that!" he screamed in my face.

The entire restaruant was staring at us now including Jessica who was leaning against the counter smirking. Bitch.

"I think it was exactly like that." I said quietly, staring him dead in the eye. He pulled his fist back and swung at me, his fist connecting with my jaw. I lurched back against the table behind us and wiped the blood off my now split lip as he stood over me.

"You came back with the chip on your shoulder, you wouldn't listen to the truth and you saw your opportunity to get even with her for what you think we did to you."

I pushed him off of me and straightened my shirt as I walked towards the door.

"The world doesn't revolve around you, you prick. I don't know what kind of game you're playing but your sister needs you. I suggest you wise up real fucking fast before she ends up dead and it's all your fault."

I threw the papers containing the information from Emmett's call at Edward's feet and walked out the door.

I rolled my tongue around my bottom lip and spit the blood on the ground before unlocking my car door. I opened it and it was caught by a large hand with bandages wrapped around it.

I turned to look at Edward, not speaking.

"It wasn't like that Jasper, I swear to God. I left her to protect her. Alice wasn't at the mill - James was there and waiting, Bella was nearly killed. I can't risk her life again. I knew there was no way she'd let me go, so I left while she was still sleeping."

I was silent.

"I'm stupid." he blurted out suddenly, a hopeful look on his face. The combination of my exhaustion, fear for Alice and the family was too much as it is but to add Edward being humble - I lost it. I burst out laughing at had to lean against the car to keep myself upright.

After my fit was over I looked up to see Edward with the most bewildered look on his face. Still snickering I clapped him on the back and got in the car.

"Yes you are really fucking stupid. Let's go get your girl, if she'll still have you. We'll decide how to proceed together - one big happy dysfunctional family."

He tentatively smiled at me and ran to the volvo, backing out of the dusty parking lot. I pulled out behind him and chuckled once again as I followed Edward Cullen.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: So..I'm not dead! YAY! I am so sorry that it's taken a while to get to this point and I'm not going to lie and say that it will be a quick update after this chapter. I am NOT abandoning the story - I just seem to have lost my muse for it. This is the last chapter I had ready to go - it's very short but I think it will suffice for now. Thanks for sticking with me!_

_To recap: Edward has left Bella alone on the 'morning after', leaving only a note to explain his leaving and has had coffee with a sneaky Jasper who followed them out to Oregon where Alice is supposedly being held. _

As always - flashbacks are in _italics. Edited 03/13/2010 - started working on chapter 13 - should be up this weekend!  
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_BPOV_

_I stood in the doorway and watched his tail lights disappear around the corner. My mouth was moving but no sound was coming out and my body was wracked with sobs. I felt myself fall against the door frame and I closed my eyes as I slid to a kneeling position on the porch._

_Jasper and Charlie thundered down the stairs and surrounded me. Charlie grabbed my shoulders and shook me gently._

_"Bells?" he said softly._

_I was silent. I heard my dad and Jasper talking to me but I couldn't make the words come. Charlie coaxed me up off the porch and pulled me into the house while Jasper shut the front door and followed us into the living room where Charlie sat me on the couch. He tried to catch my gaze but I could only look at the floor. He shook me again, harder this time and called my name._

_"ISABELLA." he said harshly. My head snapped up and I stared at his face, horrified._

_"He's gone." I whispered. "He saw..." I swallowed. "He thinks..." I felt a wave of dizziness come over me and over the roaring I heard both Jasper and Charlie shout my name again as I started to fall over before Jasper was sitting behind me, holding me up against his chest. They continued to try and soothe me but I felt like I was underwater. Their voices sounded distorted and so far away._

_"Oh god." I groaned. "This isn't happening." I turned to Jasper and grabbed his forearms, digging my nails in. "Tell me this isn't happening!" I shouted._

_He gave me a half smile and brought up his hands to cradle my face._

_"It will be fine, Bella. He just needs some time to cool off. You'll see him tomorrow at the airport and everything will be fine." he said, and I could tell he was trying to reassure himself as well as me. I scoffed and jerked away from him, propping my arms on my legs and dropped my head to roughly jerk my fingers through my hair. I wrapped my arms around myself and realized that I was rocking back and forth._

_"It won't. He'll never forgive me." I said, my voice void of emotion._

_Charlie and Jasper said nothing. I stood and walked towards the stairs. They didn't follow me._

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The crackling sound the paper made as I crumbled his note in my fist was loud in the silence of the room.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth to keep the threatening tears at bay. He'd gone off on his own to play the concurring hero and left me here like the flipping damsel in distress. My tears weren't that of the typical jilted lover, they were angry tears at being left behind because he thought he was protecting me by doing so.

He was a fool. Edward had a bad habit of jumping in to things feet first without a thought to the consequences, and this time it just might destroy us all by losing him or Alice or both. Regardless of who would or would not be working with him, he would never be able to save Alice alone and Edward's ego would never let him admit that fact.

With a huff, I threw the paper wad towards the trash can and ignored the fact that I missed and the paper hit the carpet with a bounce then rolled behind the chair.

I untangled my legs from the sheets and hauled myself off the bed, roughly picking up my panties off the floor while grumbling under my breath about what an asshole Edward was. I quickly pulled them on and grabbed my jeans, a shirt and socks out of the bag.

I pulled the jeans on and sat on the bed to put on the socks, still shaking my head at Edward's antics. I stood and threw the shirt over my head, groaning when I noticed that it went down to my knees. Edward was a tall man and I swam in his shirt. I knotted the shirt at my waist, threw my hair into a quick pony tail and grabbed my cell off the desk.

I flipped it open and stomped my foot.

"Dammit!" I shouted.

There was no signal. I really needed a new fucking phone - this was getting ridiculous. What good is a cell phone if it doesn't work when you need it?? I shrieked in frustration and grabbed the phone on the desk and pulled it towards me, quickly dialing Charlie. I leaned against the desk, impatiently biting my thumbnail as the phone rang for what seemed to be an eternity.

"You've reached the phone of Police Chief Charles Swan. If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 911. Leave a message at the tone."

I gritted my teeth as I waited for the tone and then I blurted out what I though would get Charlies attention quickly.

"Char-er, Dad! It's Bella! I'm holed up in some godforsaken hotel room somewhere in Oregon I think - Edward kidnapped me! HELP!" I screamed. I started to hang up the phone but quickly brought it back up to my ear.

"Bring Carlisle and the feds too, Edward's lost it!" I yelled. I slammed the receiver down into the cradle and looked at it doubtfully. I was sure that telling Charlie I was in danger was the quickest way to get him here with backup but I wasn't so sure that getting Edward pinned down for kidnapping was such a good idea. As I had this thought, I grinned devilishly to myself at the thought of Charlie confronting Edward on his 'kidnapping' me.

Serves the bastard right for ditching me.


	13. Chapter 13

_Ok I lied! Here I am, just a few days after the last update. Aren't you proud? :) I'm dedicated to getting us to the end girls (are there any boys? prolly not) and we're getting there slowly but surely! _

_Now that we're in the final stretch I'm going to say that some of what happens you'll probably have to give me a little wiggle room in the reality dept - I don't know much about how the police or feds (or mob for that matter) work, so I'm going based off things I've seen on tv lol _

_Enjoy!_

**Disclaimer - I don't own. SM owns me and Charlie, Sam, Bella and the rest o' the crew.**

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Charlie POV

_"Char-er, Dad! It's Bella! I'm holed up in some godforsaken hotel roo-" _

I sat at the desk the Port Angeles PD had cleared off for me to use and hit the button replay the message again.

_"Char-er, Dad! It's Bella!"_

I might be a father with a grown daughter who had moved out of my house ages ago, but I know my little girl. I smirked at the message as I listened to it for a third time. My smirk faded and I tossed the phone onto the desk, pushing the heels of my hands into my eyes before sighing tiredly. Two days without a word from her and she calls and leaves this message. I know there is no way in hell Edward Cullen had kidnapped my daughter. If anything, she insisted on being taken wherever he was going. I had never approved of Edward dating my daughter and after he left, my dislike of the boy grew into hatred as I watched Bella withdraw into herself.

Knowing he'd come back after his sister's disappearance I had hoped he'd keep his distance but despite the time they'd been apart I knew I wouldn't be able to count on him staying away. My daughter and this boy were like magnets, get them in the same town and inevitably they'd find themselves side by side. I didn't like it, but I'd resigned myself to it long ago.

My acceptance of my daughter's off and on again relationship with the Cullen boy was similar to the bullshit meter that had been ingrained in me by years of being a Police Chief.

Picking up the phone, I got Deputy Sam Uley on the line. He'd been a big help while I'd been here in Port Angeles and when Bella had gone missing we'd put a tap on my phone. I knew he'd be able to trace wherever the hell it was that Bella had called me from. He said he'd get back to me and I immediately dropped the line and dialed the number to the Cullen house in Forks.

It rang a few times before there was an answer.

"Hello?" said a male voice, and I recognized Emmett Cullen.

Emmett was not someone I was concerned with at the time. He tended to over react and I needed Carlisle's level head. I sighed and cleared my throat before announcing myself and asking for his father.

"He's upstairs with Rose and Mom right now. Can I have him call you?"

"I'm sorry son, official police business. I need to speak with Dr. Cullen right away."

I heard Emmett suck in a quick breath and then there was a pause before he spoke again.

"Charlie there was a package. It came with a note about my sister, telling Edward to come out to Idaho. I don't know what the fuck is in Idaho but Jasper followed Edward and Bella to Oregon - I don't know why they went there but I just talked to Jasper an hour or so ago and I -"

I cut him off here and asked him to get his dad. I wrote down the information he gave and while I waited for Dr Cullen to come on the line, Sam approached my desk and gave me the address of the motel Bella had called from. A little motel outside of Gresham, Oregon. I had to wonder what the hell Oregon had to do with Alice Cullen but I was hopeful that once I got all of these kids in a room we could shake the information out of them.

"Charlie?"

I heard my name coming faintly from the phone in my hand and I nodded at Sam, holding my hand up indicating he should stay. He took a seat in front of the desk.

"Carlisle." I said. "Here is the deal. My Bella followed your son out in the middle of nowhere and from what your older boy just told me I'd say it's got something to do with Alice's location. I got a call from Bella saying Edward kidnapped her but you and I both know Bella doesn't do a damn thing she doesn't want to do."

Dr. Cullen filled me in on the package that was received and the fight between Edward and Jasper before they'd all disappeared. The quickest way to end this whole thing seemed to be that Dr. Cullen would come out to Gresham, we'd get the kids and go from there. We were both going to catch flights out and would meet at the precinct.

"Bring that package with you, Carlisle and anything else you have that you think might have a clue to who is behind this."

I hung up with the doctor and turned back to Sam

"Sam, I need to you get touch with the Gresham PD and have them pick up Bella. That's the safest place for her right now until I can get there. She can spend the night, it might teach her a lesson in going off half cocked during a kidnapping investigation." I said, gruffly. Sam nodded and stood as I grabbed my coat off the hook by the door and we made our way down the hall.

"Chief - if Cullen is with her do you want them to nab him too?"

A grin came over my face at the thought of the boy being behind bars. I chuckled to myself and agreed. "Sure, throw him in a cell too."

BPOV

After hanging leaving Charlie a message I didn't really have much to do but sit and wait. I wasn't sure what I expected to happen. I guess I imagined that Charlie would somehow telepathically know exactly what shitty motel I was in and would hop a flight and be here within a few hours..I could be that Bella. The one who cried on her Daddy's shoulder about the mean boy who left her and he would fix it and we'd find Alice in the parking lot safe and sound going through fashion magazines and Edward would show up with a big flowery apology for his fuck and run.

I was shaken out of the fantasy when I felt my stomach grumble it's irritation and it occurred to me that I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten. I sighed and rummaged through the bag I'd packed, wincing as the bandages on my shoulder pulled a little. I hadn't packed anything to eat but there was always change and surely there were vending machines outside? I hadn't really thought this whole thing through. Following Edward hadn't been the smartest thing I'd ever done, but I couldn't find it in myself to regret it.

I found a few dollars in change and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans before walking to the door.

"You're a big girl Bella." I pep-talked myself. I rolled my eyes and opened the door a crack, peeking out to make sure I was alone. I felt like an idiot, so scared of my own shadow.

I spotted a few vending machines and quickly ran and selected a few items before dashing back into the room and slamming the door behind me. I locked the door and threw the items on the bed while trying to calm my racing heartbeat. I wasn't sure if anyone knew of my whereabouts besides Edward just yet but I was scared to death that I'd be defenseless if someone did happen to snatch me while I was on a mission for snack-cakes.

I groaned at my lack of foresight to pack something edible but when I'd discovered Edward was going to traipse off into the night the only thing I'd thought of was that I had to be with him. He needed someone rational with him and while I rarely fit that bill, I knew there was no way I could let him go off on his own. I ripped open the vending machine treat with a snarl at myself. My emotions were all over the place and since Edward had come back I'd often felt like a split personality. I was worried for Alice, worried for Esme and the rest of the Cullen's, worried for myself when I'd come home to find my place ransacked...most of all I was worried that Edward would run off and get himself killed and we'd never resolve our issues.

I swallowed roughly in disappointment at myself. The most important thing here was to get Alice back safe and sound. At the time I'd jumped into the Volvo I thought for sure that was the only reasoning behind my choice. I was a stupid selfish girl.

I was stewing my own disapproval of my selfishness when there was a loud banging on the door.

That was pretty much the moment when I lost my shit, reverted to the 17 year old girl who read too much and ran to the bathroom, locking the door and hiding in the tub.

I heard the door to the room slam open and some loud talking but at this point I had my hands clapped over my ears and was rocking back and forth. I was sure that James had found me or that other guy that had been with him. I thanked God that I'd gotten a cupcake as my last meal, gotten to make up with Edward - sort of - and that we'd made love. Even if he had left me - I knew it had been love and not just fucking. I was grateful to have that moment with him before I died.

The talking outside the room was louder and I shrieked when someone banged on the bathroom door. I heard muffled shouting and I slowly lowered my hands from my ears. Murderer's generally don't knock they just barge in.

My ears were doing that underwater thing and I wasn't sure but I would've sworn the person outside my door had said he was with the police. Cautiously I got out of the tub and searched for something to defend myself. There was nothing helpful around. I sighed and grabbed the plunger from behind the toilet. I slowly gripped the doorknob and listened as the person on the other side shouted again.

"Isabella! I am Officer Newton! Your dad sent us here!"

Charlie? I thought to myself. I sagged with relief as I turned the doorknob with a shaking hand. I slowly pulled it open just the tiniest crack and saw the gleam of a police badge and I threw open the door and dropped the plunger before launching myself at the bewildered man before me. I'm sure he probably thought I was insane but I'd never been so happy to see someone in my whole life.

"Isabella, your dad sent us here to pick you up. He's getting on the next flight out but there wasn't one available until tonight due to the weather up in Port Angeles. He's expected to arrive in the morning."

While Officer Mike - he'd said his name as Michael Newton but I was so happy that he wasn't here to kill me that I'd decided he was much more of a Mike - talked he had lead me out of the room and to his vehicle. I noticed his partner had grabbed my bag and was holding it next to another cruiser with third cop. I took it from him and smiled gratefully as he introduced himself as Officer Eric Yorkie and told me the other Officer was Tyler Crowley.

I walked back to Officer Mike and climbed into his cruiser with a relieved sigh. As he shut the door and then got behind the wheel, I momentarily worried about Edward coming back to find me gone, but I dismissed that worry almost as quickly as it had come. Edward wasn't worried about leaving me this morning, I'm sure he wasn't coming back. If he did come back, well..I didn't know.

The car started to pull away and I noticed that Officer Yorkie and Officer Crowley weren't coming with us. I watched them from the window as we got further away from the motel and my brows drew inward.

"Why aren't the other officers coming with us?" I asked.

"They are er..waiting to talk to the motel manager." replied Officer Mike. He seemed a little nervous at this admission and I narrowed my eyes. I suddenly felt a little uneasy but as we pulled up to the police station my distrust eased. He was who he said he was, they must've been too.

He led me into the station and when I thought he was going to tell me to have a seat or maybe take me to some sort of break room? he took me down to a cell and I looked up at him with shock.

"Officer Mike, what are you doing?" I asked, digging my heels in so that I stopped abruptly. Officer Mike jerked to a halt and then looked at me guiltily. "Chief Swan told me to stick you in a cell for the night. I'm sorry but we don't have any nicer accommodations for you and he thought it'd be good for you to spend a night in jail."

He pushed me in as I sputtered and set my bag on the floor before pulling the cell door shut and locking it. I grabbed the bars and shook them. I was absolutely furious!

"Are you kidding me?! You have got to be kidding. I am the daughter of a Police Chief, I'm not a criminal! You let me out of here right this instant!" I yelled.

Officer Mike actually looked ashamed of himself as he sat himself down on the edge of a desk that was across the room. He rubbed his forehead and then crossed his arms nervously.

"I put a real pillow in there, and a nice blanket on the cot I brought from home. I'm sorry Isabella but Chief's orders. He's uh, he's pretty pissed- er, upset that you ran off after that Cullen guy."

My ire deflated a little when he mentioned my running off. I knew I'd worried him by just disappearing but putting me in jail??? Honestly!

"Well, I - " I started. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "I would like to speak to my father please."

Officer Mike ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck before looking up at me sheepishly. "I'm not supposed to let you call anyone. He wants you to sit here and think about what you did."

I stared at him for a moment before throwing my hands up in the air in frustration. I had no idea what to do now. This was definitely not how I saw this whole thing playing out.

I gritted my teeth and made myself lay down on the cot. As soon as I laid down, I suddenly felt very drained. I felt tears come to my eyes and I wiped one away and then another. I heard Officer NEWTON sigh heavily and leave the room. Sniffling, I pulled the 'nice' blanket over myself and laid there trying in vain to blink the tears away. It didn't work and soon enough I'd cried myself to sleep.


	14. Author's Note

Hello all!

Hope this isn't a disappointing post but I wanted to talk to you for a minute - I know I love it when the stories I'm reading have a play-list and for your listening pleasure I wanted to post a link to the playlist I've made for this story - I've got several playlists up for different stories that ARE NOT mine, but Give and Take is up there.

http://www (dot) playlist (dot) com/aingealeire

Enjoy!


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